


Choose to Care

by tkbenjamin



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Character execution, Discussions of abuse (canon), M/M, Pre Relationship, midnight hot chocolate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:29:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22953352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkbenjamin/pseuds/tkbenjamin
Summary: Second chances
Relationships: Noah/Peter, Pre Derek/Stiles - Relationship
Comments: 9
Kudos: 181
Collections: Minions' writings, Rough Trade Collection





	Choose to Care

CHAPTER ONE  
“Stiles, I swear to all we hold holy that if you don’t get your ass home right the hell now, there will be hell to pay. Got it?” Stiles pulled the cell phone away from his ear and winced.

“But Dad, Scott-” he began.

“So help me Stiles, if Scott is with you right now-” 

“No. No. You see he-” Stiles began.

“No. I don’t want to hear about it Stiles. I got a report of you driving erratically. Get home. Now. I don’t know what is going on in this town but I want you safe at home. We’ve already found one body in the woods. I don’t want to see-.” he cut himself off. “Just get home, please.”

“Yes Dad. I’m sorry to worry you. I love you.” Stiles hung up, dejected. His father had sounded broken. He hadn’t sounded this bad since they’d lost his mother. “I’m a bad son,” Stiles muttered to himself and pulled the jeep back onto the road. He made a safe u-turn and headed home. Scott would hopefully lay low and stay safe, and with any luck, Stiles would be wrong about the werewolf thing.  
Ten minutes later Stiles locked the front door behind him and tossed his keys on the side table. 

Since he was home and restless, he might as well get some cooking done. If he made enough for a few days, it would make things easier for the rest of the week. He pulled out his slow cooker and electric pressure cooker. Various chopped vegetables went into both units, followed by beef for the slow cooker and chicken for the pressure cooker. Chicken stock and a can of crushed tomato in each. He added some water from the tap to the mix, shut the lids and turned them on. Programming each pot then hitting enter to start the cooking cycle.

By the time the pressure cooker was finished Stiles had a mess of crudités in baggies on the kitchen table and had made fresh white bean dip and hummus for his father to take to work and snack on. 

A new set of keys hitting the counter made him look up from the slices of eggplant, zucchini and red bell pepper he was grilling in a steel skillet. His father was leaning on the counter, he looked a cross between exhausted and bewildered and his gaze roamed the room.  
“Kid, you made enough food for a month.”

Stiles shrugged. “When I’m stressed, I cook. Be grateful I’m not baking,” Stiles said.  
“Oh I’m grateful alright. You baking means you’re in love or heart broken. Either or.” Noah said and went to sit at the table.

Stiles pulled the pan off the flame and ran over to help clear some room for him. Noah batted his hands away gently. “When it’s safe to, come sit down and tell me what’s going on. Don’t burn the vegetables.”

“Right,” Stiles returned to the stove with a grin and flipped the vegetable slices over before returning the pan to the flame. “This is the second batch of vegetables. I already made a couple of roasted vegetable wraps in the refrigerator.”

“Thanks kid.”

“You hungry, dad?”

“Could eat. It’s been a long night already. Don’t know if I can get to stay home tonight as it is.” Noah sighed and stretched.

“Chicken cacciatore,” Stiles set the bowl in front of his father and sat down with his own bowl of food.  
“Thanks kid. So you wanna tell me what happened? Maybe even start from the beginning?”

Stiles heaved a huge sigh and stirred the contents of his food lazily. “Remember the night they found the body in the woods?” Stiles began and everything spilled out of him after that. The animal. The bite. Scott. Everything.

Noah ate silently through it all. Never asking for clarification or commenting. 

When Stiles wound down he looked up at his father to gauge his reaction.  
“Do I need to have your medication reviewed?” Noah asked softly.

Stiles burst out laughing. “Maybe,” he said and just shrugged. “I know it sounds crazy, but I really think I’m right.”

*****

“Stay behind me,” the guy kept a hold on Scott’s arm, not letting him go. They were running. Scott could feel everything about him was different. Wrong. Had Stiles been right? What the hell was wrong with him? Where was Allison? Why did he smell her on this guy? He tried to pull his arm away but the hold was too strong.

“Don’t fight me. I’m trying to keep you alive. You’re family now. Just stay close and don’t lose me. It’s too dangerous out here, for both of us. Whatever you do, do not lose control or you’re dead,” the guy said as they ran, his grip on Scott’s arm never slackening.

Something rose from the ground and snagged at Scott’s feet. He tripped and fell. A second later he was on his feet again and being pressed to a tree. The bark biting into his back. “Shh, keep quiet.”

“Who are you? What’s going on?” Scott whispered back. He could hear people around them, they weren’t too close, but they were getting closer.

The guy gave him an incredulous eyebrow before shrugging. “I’m Derek Hale. Now quiet. If the Hunters find us I don’t know if we’ll survive.”

“Hunters? What?” Scott asked again, not able to keep his mouth shut.

Derek grimaced then covered Scott’s mouth with his hand. “If you’ll shut up I’ll explain when we’re safe,” he whispered into the struggling teen’s ear. “Right now the Hunters just want to kill people like us. I’m trying to keep you alive.”

Scott stopped struggling. The people were indeed getting closer and if he concentrated he could hear, some of what they were saying.  
“I think I saw the animals run this way.”

“I think there were two.”

“Can’t let them get away.”

“I wonder if they’re family. I thought the family pack was wiped out from here years ago.”  
“Yeah a hell of a special fire, I heard.”

Scott felt Derek Hale start to growl and things suddenly fell into place. Derek Hale. The Hale House fire. All those people dying. Scott quickly wrapped his own hand around the wrist of the hand over his mouth and squeezed it tightly. Derek turned his eyes back to Scott. They were a bright shining electric blue. Scott blinked at him rapidly. But Derek’s eyes didn’t change color. Suddenly channeling Stiles, Scott reached up his free hand and flicked Derek between the eyes with a finger.  
Derek reeled back in shock, but his eyes went back to normal and his hand fell away from Scott’s mouth. 

“Dude. If you didn’t want them to hear us, really fucking shiny eyes won’t help us either,” Scott whispered quickly and hunkered down, just like Derek had when they heard a noise close by.

“I think I saw something over there,” a man’s voice called out. Then suddenly a shriek and a roar could be heard. A quick squelch and rapid movement moving away from them. Some gun fire, more yelling and growling. Then eerie quiet. The noise come and gone in the matter of heart beats.  
Scott looked around them. Derek had his gaze locked in one direction, following something. Scott started to distinguish little sounds. They were getting closer. A tall shadow emerged from the trees. It was large with red glowing eyes. And Derek had launched himself at it. Scott saw as the two met and started to rip into each other. Derek’s clothing was tatters in seconds and when Scott saw bleeding his instincts kicked his ass and he ran.  
Ran to the only place he knew he might be safe. Ran to Stiles. He really should have listened to Stiles. He really should not have gone to that party. And Allison. God, where was Allison? Was she safe? What the hell was going on? With him? With those people? Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. 

He jumped over things without pausing. Ran under branches without blinking. Something grabbed at his jean leg, he slashed his hand down at the tree root and kept running. Behind him he could just make out breaking branches and guttural growling as if something was following him. When he heard it get closer to him, almost as if the sound was catching up, he’d put on a burst of speed and keep running. He knew where he was going. The terrified part of him heard the noise get closer two more times, so he rabbited again and again until there. Yes there it was. Stiles’ back fence. He looked for the gate and when he couldn’t make it out fast enough somehow he jumped and landed in Stiles’s back yard.

“Stiles! Stiles!” he called out, out of breath. His voice sounded strange. Garbled but he didn’t care. He needed Stiles. Stiles would understand. He always understood. He dropped to his knees. Noises landed behind him. Scott turned and scrambled on his ass for the back porch. He didn’t quite know what had landed behind him, but they weren’t human. They had long arms and legs. Clawed hands. Fur and fangs. The two looked at each other and the smaller one lunged at the larger. Teeth and fangs going for the throat. The larger one threw the attacker away to land against the fence. It? He? Climbed back to his feet and attacked again. Bits of clothing and fur flew everywhere as they collided, this time in mid air. The larger one slashed his claws over the smaller one’s stomach and blood flew everywhere.  
Scott felt it land on his hand. He looked down and gaped. His hand was gone. Instead he had, what? And were those claws? He looked back at the two fighting things, then back at his own hand and felt his stomach heave. They had the same hands. He thought back to his experience just hours ago, in the bathroom.

He didn’t really remember much of it. It had all felt so out of body and out of control. What if Stiles was right? Oh God, what if Stiles was right? “STILES!” he yelled, now beyond frantic.  
*****

“What the hell is that ruckus” Noah put his flatware down and rose from the table. Stiles, not a step behind him, dinner already forgotten. They stepped to the back window and stopped, stunned. “What the hell is that?” Noah whispered.

“Umm, maybe it’s cause we were just talking about it but, umm, I think that might be a werewolf, or maybe two?” Stiles answered his father softly.  
They heard growling and the sounds of an animal fight right in their backyard, then Stiles heard something else. “Did you hear that? Did someone just call my name?” Stiles asked his father, now growing beyond awed and starting towards full confused panic.

“Yeah kid, I think I did.”

Stiles glanced at his dad, his gaze was flicking around their dark yard. Stiles started to look into the dark too, hoping that they had simply misheard. He didn’t relish going out into a wild werewolf free for all. Then he heard his name again, it sounded frantic and a movement in the darkness caught his gaze.

“Scotty?”

“Scott!”

“What’s he doing here, Dad? How are we going to get to him?”

“Give me a second. Stay here.” Noah grabbed Stiles’ arm and shook it slightly, getting his attention. “Stay. Here.” He waited for Stiles to nod before he took off running for his office.

Stiles wasn’t disobeying his father. His feet just carried him to the back door on their own. Then he was out of the door and walking down the porch steps. Before he understood any of it he was kneeling by Scott and had a lap full of hysterical best friend. He could barely make out what Scott was blubbering but it sounded a lot like “You were right. You were right.” Over and over again.  
Stiles’ attention was however, riveted to the two beings fighting in his yard, just meters away from him. There was growling and biting, fur was literally flying everywhere. Grossly, so was blood and probably skin. One being was larger than the other. Taller. Stronger. It had red eyes. The other had bright and shining blue eyes. And was probably not faring as well as the bigger one but it wouldn’t back down. Every time it was thrown to the ground it got up again and kept going. 

Stiles watched carefully. Although the fight was gruesome he noticed something. The larger one kept throwing the smaller one away from it but it didn’t follow through. It just stood back and waited for the smaller one to attack again. It inflicted injury, it appeared at least to Stiles, only as a last resort. The smaller one however gave it everything it had, only to be thrown back, struggle back up to its feet and try again and again. 

Loud bangs from above his head had Stiles jerk and drop Scott, even as he screamed and tried to cover his ears. He looked up to see his father with a shot gun. It had been pointing up in the air. Now it was pointed at the weirdly supernatural intruders. 

The noise had them stopping and dropping to the ground. At first Stiles had thought his dad had shot them. But he quickly realized they were crouching, trying to become smaller targets. 

“Right,” Noah sighed and brought his shotgun down a fraction. “Judging by the fact, that you are both wearing, rather tattered clothes. I assume you are both human most of the month, so, I suggest you get your furry asses inside the house so we can talk. Stiles, I thought I told you to stay inside. Never mind. I should know better by now. How about you get Scott up, inside and calmed down. And at some point tonight I think will probably have to call Melissa. God knows what I’m going to tell her.” 

Stiles didn’t think twice. He urged Scott to his feet and pushed him up the porch steps and into the kitchen. He plopped him on a chair and gave him some water. He used a mug. Scott was shaking too much to be able to manage a glass. Three sets of footsteps made him look up. The two beings and his dad were now in the kitchen. And the kitchen felt far too tiny. 

Noah huffed and prodded the two strangers in the shoulder with a hard finger. Stiles winced internally; he knew what a hard fingered poke from his dad felt like. Like all the disappointment, love and heartbreak in the world rolled together. He’d had many of those pokes. 

It seemed even creatures of fantasy understood the poke because they both ducked their heads and shuffled their feet. 

“I know you’re human under all that, so change back,” Noah said sadly. “I, we, want some answers.”

They both looked stubborn, jaws set.  
“I’m waiting.”

Stiles almost choked on his own breath. A glance at Scott and Stiles saw Scott’s eyes opening wide. Noah had used the Dad Voice. The voice that made criminals break down and cry. The Sheriff Voice was bad enough, but the Dad Voice was impossible to refuse. 

And it seemed creatures of fantasy were not an exception. In front of their eyes the smaller one buckled and started to change. The excess hair reversed. The muscles shrank. Pale skin started to show through. Eyes went from crazy bright blue to gold flecked brown. Muzzle became a firm jaw. Brow ridges transformed, into a forehead and eyebrows. And suddenly the guy in front of them looked very familiar. 

“Derek Hale. Don’t I have you at the top of my list for your sister’s murder? Sit down kid. Before you fall down,” Noah pulled out a chair and Derek sat. 

“I didn’t kill Laura,” he said softly. He glanced at the other being. 

“Hmm,” Noah hummed. “Your turn,” he told the other one. 

The larger one turned sharply and growled at Noah. Stiles, Scott and Derek shot to their feet. Derek and Scott both growling. Stiles had his fingers curled around the butter knife. 

“Scott, Derek. Sit down. Stiles, son, are you planning on buttering him to death?” Noah asked softly with a tiny grin. Stiles could see he was tense but trying to diffuse the situation.  
“Maybe give him a huge case of cholesterol,” Stiles quipped, trying to help. 

The bark of laughter came not from the humans in the room who snickered but from the untransformed supernatural being. Then he pulled out a chair and sat carefully. Before he was fully settled he was human again. 

Stiles didn’t know the man, but the gasp from his father told him he did. 

Noah Stilinski rounded the table and fell into his chair. “Peter Hale. Last time I saw you. You were in the long term care unit at the hospital. Covered in burns. Someone had better tell me what the hell is going on. And you’d better believe that I can tell if someone is lying to me.”

Peter mimed locking his lips and throwing away the key. Then he grinned and sat back in his chair. Derek just slumped forward and looked sulky.  
Stiles just kept looking from one person to the other around his kitchen table. Finally he gave up. He stood from the table and grabbed his and his father’s uneaten dinners. He shoved the bowls in the microwave and set them to reheating. He grabbed three more bowls and after checking the pressure cooker was still hot he ladled food into the empty bowls. He set the full bowls in front of Scott, Derek and Peter. 

He went to the drawer for flatware and the bread bin for some rolls he’d bought earlier and brought it all to the table. A few seconds later the microwave beeped at him and he went to retrieve his dinner and his father’s.

“Thank you son,” Noah said. Slowly he began to eat. 

Scott didn’t wait for another second before he was dipping bread into the sauce and eating happily. “Thanks dude. I needed this,” Scott mumbled around the food he was eating. 

“No problem. I made enough food for the week. Eat up before it gets cold. You two must be starving after that little show in the yard.” Stiles used his fork to point at the Hales before grabbing a bread roll and following Scott’s example. Stiles dipped a piece of bread into his bowl and popped it into his mouth. He hummed appreciatively and kicked Scott gently under the table. “Dude, do you remember when my mom taught us to do this. Take hunks of bread and dip them in the sauce?”

Scott snorted and giggled. “Yeah man. So cool.”

“Yeah it was,” Noah says sarcastically. “Until you two miscreants ate more than half the sauce of any given dish and all the damned bread in the house. Claudia just eventually ended up making twice the amount of sauce and keeping bread rolls in the freezer.” 

Noah sounded reminiscent and Stiles looked at him. They shared a bitter sweet smile. “So Derek, your mom ever let you dip bread into her sauces?” Stiles asked the guy across from him who was just staring at the meal like he didn’t know whether to trust it. “Dude, like, I didn’t poison it or anything. I gave me, Scott and my Dad the same stuff.” Stiles was starting to sound affronted, even if he was trying to hide behind sarcasm and humour.

Derek blinked up at him and picked up his own fork, taking a quick bite of the food. He swallowed before speaking hesitantly. “Sorry. I. Um. No, Mom, couldn’t cook to save her life. Uncle Peter use to help Aunt Jillian do most of the cooking-” he stopped at the growl, turning his head to look at the other man.

“Dude, stop growling. That’s rude. Derek was speaking,” Stiles said without thinking, but then, when does he ever think before acting? Stiles swallowed hard and resolved to shut up when red eyes turned on him.

Noah Stilinski cleared his throat and ran his finger over the barrel of the shot gun standing by his leg.  
“You think that will kill me?” the red eyed Peter Hale asks. It’s the first words Stiles had heard from the man and his voice sounded rough from disuse.  
“Probably not,” Noah says nonchalantly. “But I’m sure that at this distance it’ll still hurt like a son of a bitch. Now Derek was talking about his mother and I know how important that can be. So either shut up or speak up and add to what he was saying and for god’s sake eat something. This cacciatore is really good.” Noah released the gun and returned to his food.

Peter did nothing but blink for a few seconds, then, with a shrug of his eyebrows he picked up his fork and speared a bite of chicken into his mouth. He chewed slowly then swallowed, his eyes returning to Stiles. He nodded once and took another mouthful. “This is very good,” he said once his mouth is clear again. “Derek is right unfortunately, Talia couldn’t cook. Jillian was a professional chef by trade. She was our older cousin, but the kids all called her Aunt, even though she wasn’t. She cooked most of our meals. I, along with others were her helpers. I even trained as a chef under her. I was her apprentice for many years,” Peter told them carefully.

Stiles saw his dad suddenly narrow his eyes. “Chez Rober, right? That was her restaurant. I remember seeing you out back on your breaks when I’d do my walk throughs when I was a deputy. She had the best Cassoulet I’d ever tasted.”

Peter blinked slowly and tried to stop a grin from crossing his face. Stiles could see how hard he was trying, but a tiny grin lifted the side of his mouth. Derek gave a sharp laugh that he swallowed quickly, but not quickly enough because all eyes shifted to him.

Noah raised both eyebrows.

Derek looked everywhere but at anyone of them. Finally he bit his lip and said quickly. “That wasn’t Aunt Jillian’s recipe. It was Uncle Peter’s.”

“Shut up Derek,” Peter said softly.

Derek shrugged. “True though.”

Then there are two grown men at Stiles’s kitchen table tussling for a few seconds before Derek seemed to remember something and pull away. He makes a broken noise and almost leaps off his own chair, whether to get away from or attack his uncle seems unsure and somehow Peter is no longer at the table but at the pressure cooker, ladling out some more chicken cacciatore for himself. “Would anyone like some more?” he asked, as if he’d done it all his life.

The event seemed surreal, but Noah was nothing if not pragmatic. “Just bring the whole thing over, we might as well serve ourselves.”

Once everyone has full bowls again Noah stared speaking. “Whose gonna explain everything to me? Nephew or Uncle? You can start with tonight, then work backwards I think.” Noah looks around. “Scott, Stiles told me about yesterday. Tell me what happened tonight.”

Scott had a dear in the headlights look, but he valiantly swallowed and began. “I talked Stiles into a party tonight. Allison was there and, you know sir,” Scott looks at the sheriff. At a small nod he continues. “Anyway I started feeling sick and locked my self in the bathroom. Then I ran out forgetting everything. When I came back to my senses I worried about Allison and explaining. Stiles said he’d find her. He told me Derek had taken her home and I lost it. I went looking for him. Then, I’m not sure what happened, just that I found Derek. Or actually, he found me.”

“Yeah, me and hunters. We got away from them, sort of. Uncle Peter came along and stopped them from ever hunting anyone again.” Derek took up the story. “Except I know what Peter has done. And all I can think about currently is that he murdered my sister.” Derek sounded harsh and brittle. He set his flatware down and Stiles saw him hunch over, almost as if he were trying to hide into himself.  
Noah placed his spoon carefully into his bowl and leaned back in his chair. “Anything you want to say to that, remembering please that I am the duly sworn local sheriff.”

Peter huffed, and grumbled something under his breath. “Really Derek! Yes I killed Laura. I needed the Alpha power from her so I could heal. It had gone too far. You and she had been away from me for too long for me to fully heal even if she helped me as my Alpha. No, I needed to be the Alpha to be able to use the powers. So yes I killed her and took the Alpha Spark into myself. However it was not, murder.” Peter blew out a breath.

“If it wasn’t murder, Mr. Hale then please explain what it was, and remember that Laura Hale’s body is not in one piece, and that again I am the Sheriff of Beacon Hills,” Noah’s voice was glacial and Stiles shivered.

Peter looked back around and blinked slowly as if he finally understood what was being asked. He stood up slowly from the table, his gaze on where Noah’s hand rested on his shotgun. He walked slowly to the kitchen bench and after a second he hopped up to sit on it. “You know, my mom, your grandmother Derek, used to hate it if any of us sat on anything not a chair or stool. We quickly learned not to sit on tables or counters. The woman was a dead shot with a shoe. I miss her still, even after all these years. Laura looks like her so much. That’s where I have such a difficult time understanding. 

“My mother was Alpha before Talia. She knew everything about everyone in her pack. We could hide nothing from her and didn’t want to. We always knew she was there for us. All the time. So after the fire, after I felt my sister, my Alpha die I felt adrift. Then seconds later I felt the new bond to my new Alpha take hold. I felt whole again. Whole and safe, even as I knew my body was burned, as I knew death was so very close. But I didn’t mind. My Alpha held me in her heart and mind. Then I felt as Laura stifled my bond to her. She couldn’t cut it, maybe she didn’t try, but she could and did stifle it. She muffled any bond inside of her that wasn’t her bond to you Derek, and then she took you and left.

“I felt you both as you left town. I was in a coma at the hospital, alone, adrift, in agony of heart, body and soul and my Alpha had taken the rest of my pack away from me. You see the human side was comatose, the wolf was not. Not for all those years. My wolf was awake and fighting to heal me. Trying to keep me together. I think my wolf went a little nuts. There was so much pain, inside and out that it was better the human slept while the wolf stayed on guard, I suppose.” Peter picked at his finger nails and glanced up occasionally.

“Time moved along and slowly I noticed things. The pain was less. I understood what was happening around me. Then I started to remember things. The fire. Laura. Derek. Occasionally I would get visitors. People I didn’t know. They smelt of wolfsbane and bullets and my wolf recognised them as hunters. I’m not sure why they came, why they just didn’t kill me. Occasionally they’d take blood or skin samples, hair and such. Maybe I was an easy source of materials for them to use in their experiments. Anyway, I’d pretend to still be comatose when they came to visit. Sometimes they’d talk about the fire. About Kate, and the fire investigator. I eventually put it all together.” Peter slid off the kitchen bench and started to walk around. “Derek, Kate used you. She started the fire. She or her father paid off the fire investigator to say the fire was accidental. She had a contractor run a Mountain Ash line around the house just before he left for the day, when most of us were inside. She had always planned on leaving a few alive so we could grow again and she’d get a chance to destroy us at another time.

“So here I am in hospital, listening and thinking and putting it all together and I knew that I couldn’t do anything about it. I was too weak still and I needed help. I knew I needed my Alpha but she was too far away. I finally woke up enough to ask a nurse about my family. She told me you and Laura were in New York and called Laura to tell her I was awake. That was a month ago. Laura took almost four weeks to decide to come and see me. Did she even tell you why she was coming back?” Peter asked Derek.

Derek shook his head.

Peter nodded once then started again. “She came to me in the hospital. Climbed in my window after visiting hours. We talked and I told her what I’d figured out. She might have abandoned me but a Beta’s loyalty, in my case is apparently absolute,” Peter sounded disgusted with himself. “We talked and talked. She was sorry. But she had an idea. Laura didn’t want to be Alpha. Not yet anyway. The Alpha Spark when it came to her was in so much pain, so scared and angry, it was eating her up inside. So she offered a solution. She wanted me to take the Spark from her. Let it heal me. Hunt down the hunters that destroyed our family. I agreed.”  
“So are you trying to tell me that Laura Hale committed suicide? Suicide by what?” Noah sounded incredulous.

Peter smiled sadly, his gaze moving to Derek. Stiles looked at Derek too. He was holding himself so still and stiff Stiles was worried he would snap. He sucked in a deep breath. “Uncle Peter, does that mean what I think it means?” his voice was scared and hopeful.

Peter grinned and went to ruffle Derek’s dark hair. “It means nephew mine, that if we can find all the ingredients I need, get the timing right and have both pieces of her body, if we can get that done, within the timeframe, then I can bring her back. Her death need not be permanent.” 

“Wait. What?” Stiles interrupted. “What does that all mean?”

“It means, my little june bug in a red hoodie, that Laura’s death was a ritual, a strong one yes, but still a ritual. And with another ritual I can bring her back. Now why don’t we get back to this lovely dinner. I must say I am rather famished. Noah? Pass a bread roll please.” Peter grinned widely and went back to his seat, pulling the tattered remains of his clothing around him as if he were wearing royal robes.

Noah picked up the bread basket and passed it over. Peter took one and broke it in half. He looked around the table for a few seconds before with a sigh Noah handed him a paper napkin. Grinning happily Peter took the napkin and set it beside his bowl. Then carefully he placed half of his bread roll on it, broke the other half in pieces and dipped into the sauce. He hummed happily as he popped the bread into his mouth and chewed. “Oh oh oh. This is exquisite Stiles. And I’m not just saying that because I’ve subsisted on hospital food for these many years. No no no. This is rather, rather good,” he said after he’d swallowed and then proceeded to eat his meal with great determination.

“Dad?” Stiles whispered.

“Hmm?” Noah hummed back.

“Dad, can you pinch me please. I think I’m dreaming.”

Noah scoffed. “That would make two of us.”

“I wish I was dreaming,” Derek muttered, poking at his meal. 

“You’re not the only one, Dude,” Scott added with a scowl, then he went back to eating.

Derek looked at Scott, then glared at his uncle. Without even blinking Stiles suddenly saw Peter topple out of his chair. Then Derek was dusting off his hands and quietly picked up his fork and popped some chicken into his mouth. With a tiny grin he kept eating steadily.

“Uhg. What the hell just happened?” Stiles asked the room at large.

“My nephew was just awkwardly voicing his displeasure with me,” Peter said climbing back into his chair and rubbing at his jaw. “Rather infant like I’m afraid. Hit now, ask questions never?” His gaze went to Derek who ignored him and kept eating quietly. “Derek is rather upset I bit that young man. In my own defense I was just a newly turned Alpha and didn’t have my instincts under control yet. Biting someone and turning them into a new Beta is our most profound instinct in the beginning. An Alpha needs a number of Betas for stability. I rather think I’m unstable enough.” Peter joked. He gave a tiny chuckle then took another breath. “I’m afraid I bit without thought or knowledge or permission and I really must apologize.” He turned to Scott. “I am very sorry for my actions young man. I know we’ve heard each other’s names, but we haven’t been properly introduced.” Peter stood to his feet. “I am Peter Hale, new Alpha of the Hale pack. This is my nephew Derek, a Beta of the Hale Pack, now my Beta.”

Derek set down his flatware and stood too. He gave a small bow from his shoulders and met everyone’s eye as he looked around the table slowly. His eyes an electric blue. The two Hales stayed standing, waiting. Stiles finally got it. He elbowed his dad and stood hastily. 

Noah seemed to come to himself and got to his feet too. “Well, I might as well finish making the introductions. You should all know me, I’m Noah Stilinski, Sheriff of Beacon Hills. This is my son Stiles and his best friend Scott McCall. Now for Pete’s sake can we get back to the food before it’s frozen. I’ve had a long hard day.” 

“Of coarse, Noah. Scott, please sit back down,” Peter said, looking at Scott and Stiles saw as Peter’s eyes flash red. 

He looked at Scott quickly to see his eyes flashing a golden amber. “Dude, your eyes,” Stiles said in wonder. 

“Derek?” Peter said and Stiles quickly looked back up. 

He saw Peter’s eyes flash red again. His gaze flew to Derek’s eyes which flash an electric blue. Stiles flopped back down in his seat and looked at his dad who was sitting down far more slowly.

“Okay, I’m gonna need answers. The internet is not that helpful about this not surprisingly. What’s with the eyes. Peter, your eyes are red. Scott’s are kinda gold and Derek’s are blue. Does every wolf get a different eye color?” Stiles asks. He noticed Derek put his flatware down carefully and push his food away. He moved like he’s about to leave the table.

Peter sets his hand on Derek’s shoulder and Stiles can see it when Derek lets himself be pushed back into his chair. Then Peter pushed Derek’s food back in front of him and flashed red eyes. “Eat,” he growls softly.

Derek looked like he was about to argue and start fighting again. He flashed his own blue eyes at Peter and growled back. Peter didn’t back down and his eyes don’t change and stop being red. 

Stiles heard a whimper and saw all eyes turn to Scott. His best friend was clutching his flatware tightly, half way to his mouth. He was trembling slightly and his eyes were flashing gold. Stiles heard Derek sigh and looked over at him. His eyes slowly lost the electric blue and returned to brown.

“I’m sorry Scott,” Derek mutters and turns his attention back to his food.

“To answer your asked and unasked questions,” Peter begins. “Werewolves in a pack can sense and smell the emotions of their pack members. Scott was bitten by me, making him a bitten Hale wolf. Derek like myself are born wolves, born of the Hale Pack. Scott is a part of my, our pack and will react to our feelings. Derek and I were upset and Scott sensed that and reacted to it. Now as for the eye color. There are some specific shades and colors. Red denoted the Alpha, the leader if you will. All Betas, secondary wolves, subservient, or children of the alpha, also those created by the Alpha have golden eyes. They change after the Beta has had to do something. Blue eyes, like in Derek’s case denotes an innocent’s demise.”

“So Derek killed someone?” Noah asks sharply.

“Yes.”

“No.” 

Both Derek and Peter said at once. Derek refused to look at anyone. He kept his gaze on his food, no longer eating, now just poking at it.

Peter sighed. “Her name was Paige. Paige Krasekeva. She was Derek’s girlfriend in high school. It had arranged for Paige to receive the bite. Unfortunately, she was one of the rare few that reject it. Death from bite rejection is horrific and horribly painful. Derek eventually eased her way. But he’ll always have a price to pay. Everyone will know he’s killed an innocent when they see his eyes.”

“Man, that’s rough,” Stiles said sadly, making Derek eye him sharply before retreating into himself again. “Are we finished with dinner?” he asks, getting up from the table and taking his bowl, at the nods he receives he nudges Scott into helping him and carries everything over to the counter. If its dirty it finds its way into the sink and the left overs slip into a tupperware and into the fridge. He opened the freezer and pulled out a box of ice-cream cones from a cupboard. Double chocolate swirl. “Hey are werewolves allergic to chocolate like dogs?”

“No Stiles,” Peter laughs.

Stiles shrugged and grinned. He placed the open carton of icecream in the middle of the table. The box of cones he handed to his dad to hand out while he looked through a cluttered drawer for their icecream scoop. When he turned back to the table, Peter was standing with a hand out toward him. With a shrug he handed the werewolf the scoop and grabs a mug to fill with water from the tap. He set it next to Peter and sat back in his seat.

Stiles stared open mouth while he watched Peter scooping out careful balls of ice cream. Three perfect spheres sit on top of the cone in his hand. But that isn’t why Stiles is staring with his mouth open. No what surprises him the most is the fact that Peter is whistling.

He feels his mouth being shut for him and snaps his gaze forward. Derek Hale had leaned across the table and with one finger pushed his jaw up slowly. Stiles blinked then felt a blush reach for his hairline. Derek looked at him a bit sheepishly and gave a one shouldered shrug before sitting back in his chair.

Stiles grined back then his gaze returns to Peter as he handed his father a triple stack double chocolate ice cream. “Tonight only Daddio. Tonight only do you get that much ice cream and only because it’s been a rough night,” Stiles tells his father with a poke to his shoulder. “But you!” He shifts his gaze back to a whistling Peter. “Are you whistling Hungry Like the Wolf, by like, Duran Duran? Dude.”

Peter just wiggled his eyebrows at him and hands him his own triple stacked ice cream cone. “One of the best bands of the eighties,” Peter says then starts whistling again.

“If you haven’t figured it out yet Stiles, my uncle is an a grade asshole,” Derek said his voice flat as day old soda left in a glass in the sun. 

“Nephew,” Peter stops his whistling long enough to sound wounded.

“Less assholery Peter and more ice cream,” Derek growled pointing at the half finished cone in his uncle’s hand.

With a raised eyebrow and a flourish Peter starts whistling again while he sets the last scoop on top then hands it carefully to Derek. “All yours nephew.”

Derek took it and took a vicious bite. Stiles watched as Derek tried but failed to hide a grimace. “Oh man,” Stiles covered his mouth with his hand. “An ice cream headache. I feel ya man, I feel ya.” 

Without once stopping his scooping or whistling Peter, it’s still obvious that Peter is laughing at his nephew’s pain. He handed an ice cream to Scott with a wink. Scott almost choked in surprise but takes the ice cream cone anyway. He licked at it carefully before sitting back to enjoy it.

Stiles is half way through is dessert by the time Peter is sitting down with his own cone. He watched as the Alpha licked at his ice cream. He savored each taste of the cold confection. He breath it in and swallowed slowly.

“Been a while, huh Peter?” his father’s voice shocked Stiles out of his reverie. Obviously he’s not the only one watching Peter Hale.

Peter shrugs. “It has been a while. Hospital cuisine is not known for its variety and fantastic quality. Also it is difficult to eat properly when one is in a coma.”

“So, Peter Hale. When did you exactly come out of your coma?” and Stiles knows the Sheriff voice when he hears it.

Peter grins around his ice cream. “What happened to Nurse Courtney?” he countered.

Stiles blinked at the sudden change of topic.

Noah Stilinsky cocked his head to the side. “She was in a car accident about two months ago. Why?” 

“Because when she was no longer poisoning me with Wolfsbane, I was able to fully wake up. Not heal properly, but wake up. My body anyway. Then like I said, I convinced a nurse to call Laura. And here we are eventually.”

“What do you mean, Wolfsbane?” Derek asked softly.

“Someone was slipping Wolfsbane into my medications, or perhaps my food. I’m not really sure where or how, but suddenly the Wolfsbane stopped and I could start to rouse properly. Eventually I realized that a certain nurse was no longer on my rotation. Everyone has a different scent and her scent was gone.” Peter turned back to his ice cream, licking up the drips that were beginning to form.

“So what are your plans, Peter? Now?” Derek asked.

Peter shrugged again. “I was thinking maybe a small killing spree. Perhaps start with the workers under the lure of the Argent’s dollars, the investigator who said it was an accident. I thought I’d finish by killing Katherine Argent. I owe her for her many many sins against my family.”

Stiles choked on the bite of ice cream cone he was munching on. “Dude,” he gasped, pointing between Peter and his father. “Sheriff.”

Peter just grinned and kept eating his ice cream. “Tell you what Stiles. In a few days, I’m going to bring Laura back. Then I’m going to leave her, Derek and of coarse Scott right here, under the care of yourself and your father. Meanwhile I’m going to go hunting. There are going to be a few people that are unfortunately about to face an animal attack, which of coarse they will not survive. Once I’m done, then I’ll place myself at the mercy of your father.” He grinned again, this time turning his grin on the Sheriff.

To everyone’s surprise Noah Stilinsky just started to laugh. He was laughing so hard he was rocking in his seat and wiping at his streaming eyes. “Oh Peter, Peter, Peter. You crack me up. Such an imagination,” Noah said his voice going from choked with laughter to flat as a pancake. He stood up and grabbed the shotgun, laying it on the counter before he walked back to the table. Once there he set his hands on Peter’s shoulders, making the Alpha Wolf stiffen. “Here’s what you’re actually going to do Peter Hale. You are going to bring Laura Hale back, yes. Then you are going to help me get enough proof against everyone that had anything to do with the Hale fire. Then I am going to arrest them and see they spend years in jail. As for leaving everyone with me here, I have no objections to that, but if they stay, you stay. And no indiscriminate animal attacks, it would make things rather difficult for actual animals and the last thing I need are some hunters trying to kill anything here. California doesn’t have any wild wolf packs anyway, so let’s not get eyes pointing this way if we can help it.” He ruffled Peter’s hair then and just patted his shoulders again.

Stile’s bit his lip and glanced at Derek. The poor guy looked like he was choking, trying so hard not to laugh at his uncle’s face. Then Stiles felt his face blanche as Peter’s eyes flashed red and his fangs grew past his lips. Peter even started to growl.

Noah just sighed and pulled Peter’s head back by his hair then thwapped him on the nose with his finger. Peter blinked up at Noah in shock. “No Peter Hale. I will not put up with that sort of behavior. Not from you. I know you’ve been out of it for a while. I also know you want revenge. And I will help you to get it. But it will be done legally. There will be no attacks or murders. We will get these people together. Even Kate Argent. That will probably be the hardest one actually. Not from a legal stand point. If Derek will tell me what happened, I’m making a lot of assumptions from what you said before Peter, but I don’t think I’m making any wrong ones. Am I?”

Peter sighed and eventually blinked his wolf away. He shook his head but wouldn’t answer. Instead he looked to Derek. Derek was looking at the table. His ice cream melting around his fingers.

Stiles leaned over and carefully took the ice cream from Derek’s lax hand. “Dude. this is a safe place. You don’t have to tell us anything right now, but you should really talk to my dad, soon. If what I think happened to you did happen to you, my dad’s the best person to talk to. I promise. He’s the best. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my dad. He really is the best.”

Derek looked up at Stiles. “Don’t call me Dude,” he sighed. Then he looked back at Noah and gave a small and shaky nod. 

“Okay, good,” Noah said softly. “Did you want to do it now or a bit later?”

Derek shrugged. “Now, maybe?”

Noah nodded and sighed. “Stiles, Scott, dishes and kitchen clean up. Peter, sit your ass in the living room.”

“No,” Peter disagreed.

Noah just raised his eyebrows.

“No. I will not sit in the living room while you talk to my nephew, my beta. This will fillet him emotionally like a salmon and it’s my job, my duty and my intent as his Alpha to support him through it. It is my right and what he needs and deserves. Of coarse that is if he wants me to be there.” Peter said with dignity.

They all look back to Derek. “Son?” Noah asks softly.

Derek looks steadily at his uncle. He nods once and stands from the table slowly and deliberately.

“Okay son, you and your uncle can follow me to my study. I’ll take down your statement here, then you can sign it. Tomorrow I’ll open a new investigation and start the ball rolling. You know I was a deputy at the time of the fire. I couldn’t investigate it the way I can now. The old sherif closed the case. With your statement I can re-open it.” Noah walked from the kitchen as he spoke, two werewolves in step behind him.

Stiles watched them go then sighed. “God. That is all manner of fucked up. And I have never sighed so much in my life. Come on Scotty. Let’s get the kitchen cleaned up.”

“Stiles, what’s going on?” Scott asked him.

Stiles pushed his chair back under the table and walked to the sink, starting the tap to fill it up. He poured some dishwashing liquid in before answering his best friend. “From what I can figure out. And I might be cuckoo crazy here but I’m pretty sure that Derek and Peter are werewolves, you too now. I think that there must be some people out there that wanted them and their family dead and killed them. But I think something bad happened to Derek at about the same time. I’m not going to speculate, but my dad has figured something out and is gonna deal with it. I sorta think that my dad is going to do a Sherlock Holmes and find some bad guys. Oh and magic. Magic man. With werewolves and bringing someone back from the dead. Oh man. Can you imagine the paperwork that’s going to involve. The coroner is going to want to know what happened to the body and all the shit. Here Scotty. I wash you dry.” Stiles handed his best friend a plate and watched him take it and a clean tea towel from the drawer.

“Stiles?” Scott asked, his voice soft and broken.

Stiles looked him in the eye. “Yeah Scotty?”

“Is everything going to be okay?”

“Bro,” Stiles quickly pulled his best friend into his arms and held him tight. “It’s going to be fine,” he whispered into Scott’s ear. “I can’t promise it’s going to be the same, but it will be fine. Dad is on the case. I’m on the case. We got this handled. And I’m sure we can get Derek to explain what it’s like to be a werewolf.”

“So you think something really bad happen to Derek?” Scott asked. “Besides the fire I mean and the sister, oh god, a lot of bad things have happened to that guy. Forget I said anything.”

Stiles started to snigger. “Dude, take a breath. But yeah I’m pretty sure something bad did happen to Derek. Dad will sort it out. So you gonna call your mom and tell her you’re spending the night or did you want to go home?”

Scott stopped and his face went slack before he blinked hard. “My head says go home. But everything else in me says to stay here. That’s so weird. Like its two people inside of me having an argument. Am I going nuts?”

Stiles went back to the washing up, thinking about what Scott had said, letting things noodle and percolate in his brain. When it finally made some sense to him he took a breath and started to speak. “You’d have to check with Derek and Peter to be sure but, well you know when Peter talked about how when he was in his coma, his wolf was on guard. It sounds like the wolf and the man are different and separate, but united. Does that make any sense. Maybe you, human Scotty wants to go home to his mom, but wolf Scotty, wants to stay with his Alpha.” Stiles shrugged and kept washing dishes.

Dishes done. Kitchen clean. Stiles yawned and looked to the study. The dor was still closed. His dad was still in there with Derek and Peter. He could hear the soft murmur of voices but not understand anything that was being said behind that door. He stretched his arms over his head and looked at Scot who sat on the couch surfing through channels on the TV.

“Okay Bro. I’m heading to bed. Good night dude. I’m pretty sure that Peter and Derek are getting the guest room, and probably the couch, so you might be stuck sleeping with me, like when we were kids. Anyway, I’m heading to bed. Come up when you want.” Stiles wondered if Scott could make out what was being said in the study. The way he was overly concentrating on the TV and the volume told Stiles that maybe Scot could and was trying not to. His wolf probably wouldn’t let him go upstairs before telling the Alpha either. 

Stiles figured his best friend was about to understand the feeling of being emotionally torn in two. His humanity pulling him in one direction and his wolf in another. Stiles was again thankful he’d not been bit that night. He instantly felt guilty about ti because Scot had been there because of him after all, still though he wasn’t sure how he’d cope being a werewolf, not to mention his ADHD. no one wanted to deal with a hyperactive werewolf, thank you very much. 

*****

Stiles didn’t know where he was, he knew however he did not like it. He was hot, scorching hot. There was some sort of maze and he was running. No he didn’t like it and he wanted out. Somehow in his running and flailing, a tiny part of his mind wandered why the hell he was flailing instead of saving all his energy for running, he hit himself in the face. 

Stiles gasped himself awake. The running, the flailing, the maze, they had all been a dream. The scorching heat however was very real. There was a furnace in the bed next to him. He looked beside him to see the silhouette of Scott in bed beside him. He was sleeping quietly. How someone could sleep through that heat Stiles could not understand. He did know he needed a drink though, so he slowly got out of bed and made for the bathroom and some cold water.

A few steps out of his own room he heard a noise. It sounded like a sniffle and he quietly understood the sound. He’d made it often enough after his mom had died. With a quiet sigh he padded down stairs. 

“It’s just me, D. You want some tea or hot chocolate?” Stiles didn’t wait for an answer, just walked softly into the kitchen. He drew himself a glass of cold water from the tap and drank it quickly. Then he went to the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. “I think some of my mom’s secret hot chocolate. It’s a secret recipe. Reserved for special occasions,” Stiles kept his voice quiet but he still kept talking. When he turned around he found Derek sitting at the kitchen table watching him.

“Dude. If I hadn’t been expecting you, that would have given me a heart attack. Do not do that to my dad. He does not need a heart attack. I do not need him having a heart attack and besides all of that, he might just shoot you. Accidentally of coarse, but you know, shoot you.”

Derek just looked at him, one eyebrow raised and didn’t say a word.

Stiles scoffed at him. “Dude, tell your eyebrow to stop trash talking me. I’m right, I know I am. I also figure I’m going to have to buy some bell collars for you, your uncle and probably Scott. Is he like going to be super quiet and stealthy too? And what is it with the hot. He’s like burning hot upstairs right now. What’s with that? Is he okay? Do we need the hospital? A doctor? A Veterinarian?”

Derek didn’t react besides to drop his head on the table and bang it a few times.

Scoffing at the drama wolf, Stiles quickly slipped a folded tea towel between Derek’s head and the table in between bangs. “Hush dude, you’ll wake my dad.”

“The Sheriff isn’t asleep, not really.” Derek told him.

“Really? You can tell that?” Stiles asked awed.

Derek nodded once.

“Your uncle? Scott?”

Derek cocked his head to the side. “Uncle Peter is asleep, but not too deeply. Scott is in a deep sleep. Probably the first one he’s ever really had, now his asthma is gone. Why aren’t you asleep?”

Stiles huffed. “Oh man I was. Until a furnace started up next to me. I mean I like heat, but not that much heat.”

Derek nodded. “It’s because he’s still new. The heat will settle after his first full moon. But Werewolves, we run a bit hotter than normal people.”

“Dude, normal? So what, you consider yourself abnormal?” Stiles asked with a sarcastic little grin.

Derek just blinked at him, lost for words.

Taking pity on him Stiles answered his own question. “You’re normal too you know. You have some special inherited abilities, but that doesn’t make you abnormal, just makes the rest of us boring as bat shit and mundane, yeah, mundane.”

Derek sniggered. “Can’t see you being any type of mundane Stiles. Ever.” 

Stiles grinned and took a bow. “Okay then compliments aside. Hot chocolate.” he turned back to the kitchen and got to work. Milk, honey, nutmeg, turmeric, a pinch of black pepper and three heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder went into a saucepan and onto the stove to simmer. Stiles pulled a cinnamon quill from a jar and found the vanilla paste in the refrigerator, adding a tiny amount into the milky mix. He used the cinnamon quill to stir it all until it started to steam, then he dropped the quill in the saucepan and watched until he could see tiny bubbles on the surface. He turned the stove off and went for a couple of mugs, a jug and a colander. 

“Hey Derek, have you ever seen Indian pulled tea? I watched it on you tube. This dude, just pouring hot milky tea from one cup into the other. They said it was chai. That’s got cinnamon and some other spice. I figured I could try making pulled hot chocolate. What do you think? I mean it can’t be that hard.” Stiles babbled his way to the sink with the mugs, jug and colander, then he grabbed the pan of hot chocolate from the stove and proceeded to pour it through the colander and into the jug. He set the saucepan down and removed the colander with its bits of spices in it. He picked up the jug and proceeded to pour out a mug full. “Yeah. I can so do this,” he muttered as he picked up the full mug in one hand and the empty one in the other.  
“Stiles, I don’t-” Derek started.

“I got this. I got this,” Stiles cut him off and began to pour hot chocolatey goodness from one mug to the other. It was going well until Stiles started moving the mugs apart. Then things were very wrong as hot milk started to splash onto his hands. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Hands were suddenly there taking the mugs from Stiles and setting them on the counter. “Are you okay Stiles? Let me look. Are you burned?” Derek looked at Stiles hands carefully. Turning them over in his own for a few seconds.

“I’m okay. It’s fine D. Nothing a minute under cold water won’t fix,” Stiles objected. Then his hands were under running cold water and the burning he’d been feeling was just gone. Only not like every other time he’d shoved his burns under cold water. There was absolutely no pain. Not from the hot milk and not from the cold water hitting him. Then he noticed tiny black lines fading up Derek’s hands and pulled both of their hands out from under the faucet. He watched Derek’s hands carefully then looked up and into his eyes. “Ah. What the?”

Derek shrugged and released Stiles, grabbing a teatowel to dry off his hands. “It’s a wolf thing. We can take someone’s pain. Physical pain anyway. We draw it and process it out.”

“Huh. The black lines? That’s the pain?”

“Yeah. the more the pain the darker and longer the lines. You weren’t seriously hurt, so there wasn’t much to draw. Did you still want pulled hot chocolate?” Derek asked, looking at where the mugs sat forgotten on the counter.

“Umm. Yeah? Maybe?” Stiles said softly.

“Sit down Stiles, before you get hurt. Again.” Derek pointed at a chair and Stiles went.

Stiles sat and watched as Derek checked the heat of the chocolate mix in the mug then poured it all back into the saucepan and set it back on the stove. Then he rinsed out the mugs and waited for the hot chocolate to become hot chocolate again.

“I actually have seen pulled tea. There’s a cafe back in New York that does it for the regulars. Pulled tea, chai, coffee, chocolate for the kids. All of it. But you really need the right copper long spouted pot to make it a real show. We don’t have one of those so the saucepan will have to do.” Derek talked as he checked the temperature of the mixture. He poured it into one mug then started the whole pulling process as Stiles watched.

Minutes later they were at the table drinking pulled hot chocolate. Stiles grinned suddenly. “I remember you, you know. Back from before. You used to help out at the pool as life guard back then. You taught me how to swim. I mean you tried to teach me how to swim. I was a total spaz back then. Not that much has changed.”

Derek narrowed his eyes for a few seconds. “I thought you would drown before I could get you to float. Scott used to come with you, didn’t he? He learned even before you did.”

“Yeah, I should probably make a confession. My mom taught me to swim before you started at the pool. But Scott couldn’t swim and he had, you know issues because of his asthma. So I faked it. and, well, I sort of had a massive kid crush on you at the time so it was a win win for me. Mom would just shake her head at me after every lesson and ask me if you looked especially pretty that day and how Scott had gone.” Stiles smirked and drank some more of his chocolate. Then he reached out and used his index finger to shut Derek’s mouth. “Drink your hot chocolate Derek, before it gets cold.”

“You’re insane Stiles. Insane,” Derek whispered, his voice a little choked.

Stiles just kept smirking between sips.

Derek eventually huffed and chuckled. “I was petrified I’d have to call Mrs. Stilinski and tell her I’d let her kid drown. You know how hard that would have been, Stiles? Your mom was my favorite teacher. She made English class worth going to in those days.” Derek shook his head ruefully. “You were that manipulative back when you were a kid and now you know about us and werewolves. I think between you and Uncle Peter the rest of the packs and Hunters are fuc-I mean screwed.”

“Nah man. You can say fucked. Dad’s asleep. Right?” 

Derek cocked his head to the side for a second, then nodded. “Uncle Peter isn’t though. He’s not really awake but not asleep either. Scott is still dead to the world.”

“So what can I expect from Scott now?” Stiles asked seriously.

“Well you mentioned his asthma? The bite will have taken care of that. He’ll get stronger, faster, heal almost immediately, sort of anyway. The bite is a gift. But he’ll have to let Peter and I train him. Listen to what we tell him. Keep things under wraps. Not stand out until he has everything under control.” Derek finished his mug and got up to rinse it in the sink.

Stiles finished his own drink and met Derek there. “This isn’t going to be easy is it?”

Derek shrugged. “There hasn’t been much easy in my life, Stiles. Why should this be any different? Thanks for the hot chocolate. And the company. I guess I needed it. Go get some sleep.”

“You know the oven that is Scott currently. Is that permanent?” Stiles asked.

Derek looked at him curiously. “What are you asking? And why? You know what never mind. Like I said before. Werewolves run hotter than norms. But the overheating is only something young or new wolves do. He’ll stop soon enough. Its just going to be awkward for a bit, that’s all.”

“Great,” Stiles sighed.

Derek looked at him confused again.

“It’s like I’ve got an oven in my bed. Hot. Hot. Hot. And not in a good way. Okay, good night D. See you in the morning.” Stiles started up the stairs, waving over his shoulder.

“Night Stiles,” Derek whispered before Stiles was out of hearing range.

*****

Cinnamon rolls. Bacon. Eggs. Coffee. Stiles was dreaming he could smell all of them. He was drooling. He knew it because anyone would be drooling at those smells. His stomach growling woke him up from his foody dream. As he opened his eyes he waited for the smells of the dream to vanish like they should, but they didn’t. Instead he turned to find Scott beside him. Golden eyed and drooling. They looked at eachother. “Breakfast!” They whisper shouted at each other and scrambled out of bed, pushing at each the other to get down the stairs faster.

They ran into the kitchen at the same time, coming to a sliding stop at the table. Peter was at the stove, pushing cooked bacon onto a plate. Derek was sitting on the counter, ripping a cinnamon roll in half. 

Stiles didn’t think twice. He walked right over to him and bit into one half of the cinnamon roll while Derek was still holding it. “Mmmmm.” He hummed and chewed. Then swallowed and went in for another bite.

“Stiles!” his father exclaimed.

Stiles blinked himself into reality just as his lips closed around Derek’s finger. He pulled away blushing furiously. He chewed and swallowed looking down. “Excuse me while I go drown myself,” he muttered and started shuffling out of the kitchen mortified. He felt something snag the back of his t-shirt, making him stop.

“Just sit at the table, Stiles. It’s okay Sheriff. Peter’s cooking has strange effects on some people.” Derek slipped off the bench and pushed Stiles into a chair. He slid a plate in front of him and Stiles saw it slowly fill up with bacon, eggs and cinnamon rolls. Then a full mug of coffee was placed in his line of sight and Stiles gave up all pretence and dove for it.

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to be apologizing for my son’s behavior before his first cup of coffee for the rest of my life. It doesn’t matter if it’s just us, but…” Noah let it trail off.

“You never apologize to pack, Noah. Therefore there is no need to apologize to us. However that was rather entertaining. Thank you, Stiles. It’s nice to know I haven’t lost my touch even after all these years.” Peter turned from the stove a crispy rasher of bacon in his fingers.

“Pack?” Stiles pulled his face out of his mug long enough to ask.

“Yeah Peter. Pack?” Noah asked.

Peter ate his bacon carefully. Licking his fingers clean once he was done. He lifted his eyebrows as if he was all innocence. “I think Derek and I are in agreement here. You are involved in this now. More involved than you probably ever wanted to be, but you are. You’ve taken it onto yourself to acquire justice for our pack, our family. Perhaps however I should ask you. Sheriff Noah Dominik Stilinski, would you and your son like to be a part of the Hale Pack?”

Noah narrowed his eyes at Peter. Then held out his travel mug. “I’ll think about it. I can’t make a decision until I’ve had my first cup. Now coffee me.”

Peter took two steps forward and took the travel mug from the outstretched hand. He passed it to Derek who sighed but took it and filled it from the coffee pot. He sealed it then handed it back to Peter before starting another pot of coffee.

“I’m missing something…” Stiles said slowly, now that he was more awake.

“It’s pack stuff,” Derek answered, sitting beside Stiles with his own full plate of food and pushing a chair out with his foot for Scott. “Don’t worry about it too much. The Alpha has a, protect and provide, for instinct with his or her Pack. Mom couldn’t cook, but she made a very good living, so her way of providing was financial. Peter has gotten access to his funds yet, so his way of providing is to make sure we, his Pack eat well. He’ll probably hit a cleaning frenzy after you all leave,” Derek explained. “Since I’m his nephew and the only Beta he has that he knows and trusts, I get to be his hands when he needs something done, like fill your dad’s cup, or fill up a plate for you, that sort of thing.”

“Why didn’t you fill mine?” Scott asked between getting food into his mouth.

“Cause you’re a werewolf. You’re expected to be able to look after yourself and protect our non wolf pack mates. Stiles and his dad are human. We protect the humans.” Derek finished off his own breakfast and stood from the table.

Stiles watched him return to the bench where he looked into several brown paper bags. He folded one closed and handed it to Noah who was eating a breakfast sandwich while he leaned against the door jamb. “Your lunch, sir.” 

Noah took it skeptically. “Son, you didn’t have to.”

“Yes Noah, we did.” Peter interrupted. “And Stiles before you have a coronary. Your father is eating a turkey bacon and eggwhite omelette toasted sandwich with sundried tomatoes and grated carrot for breakfast. Its healthy but doesn’t taste healthy. For lunch he has rice noodle salad with spinach pesto and a Mediterranean vegetable Panini. All he has to do is microwave the panini for two minutes to warm it through, or warm it in a sandwich press or even eat it cold. In fact you all have the same thing for lunch. Now isn’t it time you and Scott started getting ready for school?”

Stiles blinked then with a startling grin glanced at Derek. “Was your uncle like the pack mom or something?”

Derek choked holding back his laughter while Peter started throwing dish cloths at Stiles, who ducked and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs, Scott hot on his heels. They heard Noah laugh his way out of the house, the door slamming shut behind him.

A half hour later they sat in Stiles’ jeep. Stiles turned the key in the ignition again, muttering under his breath. “Come on baby, come on, please.” He turned the key a couple more times before admitting defeat. “Looks like we’re walking, Scotty.”

They climbed out of the Jeep to see Derek coming out of the front door, twirling a set of keys around his finger. “Need a lift?” he asked, hopping down the porch steps and walking across the lawn to a black car parked on the street.

“What? What? How? When?” Stiles spluttered, touching the car reverently.

“This morning. I went and got it. Come on. Get in. I’ll drive you guys to school. Let me know when you’re done so I can pick you up.” Derek took Stiles’ bag and dropped it in the boot. “Scott, where’s your bag?”

“At home. Can we drive by and pick it up?”

Derek nodded and slid into the driver’s side, leaving Scott and Stiles fighting about who got to ride shotgun. Scott won only because he had to jump out of the car and get his school bag from his house before they could even get to school. Scott scrambled out a few minutes later, running for the front door while fishing for his keys.

“So you finish at three thirty?” Derek asked.

“Ahha. But we can catch the bus back. It’s fine,” Stiles told him.

“No. It’s really not. Peter and I haven’t had much in the way of pack for a long time. We’re going to be over protective for a while. I’m sorry if that’s going to freak you out, but we can’t really help it yet. It’ll cool off in a bit though. So I’ll pick you up at three thirty. Peter will probably cook dinner and I’ll look into fixing your car. Although I should probably wait until we have Laura back before I do that. She’s the actual mechanic,” Derek said as they waited.

“Really a mechanic? What did you do?”

“I was, am, a photographer. I’ll show you some stuff some time, and I really need to go back to New York to get my things.” Derek sounded thoughtful.

Stiles checked his phone. “Come on Scotty! Times awastin’!” he called out of the window just before Scott came running back to the car.

*****  
The next couple of days followed the same routine, almost. Derek would drop Stiles off at school. They’d pick Scott up on the way since Peter had told him it was fine for him to sleep at home. Then after school Derek would be there to pick them up again. Scott would spend the afternoon hanging out at Stiles’, doing homework, playing video games and being a highly annoying baby brother type to Derek. Up until Stiles’ dad would walk in the door and minutes later Peter would call them into the kitchen for dinner.

It was about the third night that it hit Stiles. He was getting ready for bed in the bathroom. The only full bathroom the house had when he noticed the four toothbrushes standing together in the glass by the sink. Another glass held three types of toothpaste. One was the brand he and his father had always used, the others had to belong to Derek and Peter. Stiles gripped the edge of the counter and sucked in a deep breath. He blew the air out and did it again and again. His heart started beating. Faster and faster. There were black spots forming at the edges of his vision and his knees started to feel weak. 

His mental voice understood what was happening. The nausea inducing headache running in a sharp blue line right behind his eyes, from temple to temple, told him he would black out before the panic attack chasing him down could run its course however. That little mental voice wondered vaguely what would happen if he passed out before a panic attack hit. He’d find out soon enough. Hopefully he would crackn’t his head open on something on the way down.

He felt his knees give way then there was his fingers losing their grip on the counter and falling backwards, with a tilt to the side. His vision was gone. His heartbeat was running a marathon and loud as a jet plane. Then suddenly it all stopped. The falling. The pain. Only his heart kept up its tap dance. He felt weightless and drifting. Soon he was surrounded and could smell his father’s aftershave. He sought out the scent and buried his nose in it. Something soothing was moving along his back. Something soft stroked his temples. Something strong wrapped around his wrist and whispers sounded in his ears.

He tried to concentrate on the sensations enough to get his bearings. 

Eventually he opened his eyes. He was in his father’s room. In his father’s bed. His face buried in Noah’s pillow while Noah sat beside him, obviously stroking his back and whispering calm words to him. He wasn’t surprised by his father. 

“Hey kid. This hasn’t happened for a while,” Noah smiled at him sadly. 

Stiles shook his head. “You used to stroke my back to calm me down when it did though. Guess it still works. What happened?” Stiles looked beside him on the bed. “Ah. Hey.”

Derek lay beside Stiles. One hand wrapped around Stiles wrist, the other stroking his temple slowly. “Hey. Feeling better?” Derek asked.

Stiles nodded. Derek pulled his hands away and sat up. Stiles followed. “What happened?” he asked again.

Noah looked to Derek, who looked to the doorway as if looking for permission. Stiles followed his gaze to see Peter standing there. The man looked pale, his lips pinched. He looked upset. Stiles sent him a small grin and wave. He saw Peter relax a little and grin back, before nodding to Derek and leaning back against the door jamb.

Derek let his shoulders slump then without looking at anyone, started talking. “I heard your heartbeat go crazy. I tracked you down to the bathroom. Its lucky you don’t lock the door or I’d have broken it down. As it was you were passing out when I walked in. I grabbed you as you fell, called your dad and Peter. Your dad had me bring you in here. I took your pain. Your dad did his bit and now we’re here.”

“Wow. Okay. There are questions, but I’ll ask them later,” Stiles said. Then looked at his father when he tapped his shoulder.

“Stiles. What happened?” Noah asked.

Stiles sighed and shrugged. “Not really that sure, you know? I was brushing my teeth and I noticed the extra toothbrushes and toothpastes. And then I realized what life has been like for the past few days. Getting dropped off at school then picked up again. Scott hanging out before Derek drops him back home. Peter cooking every day. Its all very domestic. All really great. Then I remembered mom and sort of lost it. I felt guilty at how good this all felt, without her here. I still miss her so much. But a little of the hole she left behind in me is healing. That made me feel guilty. Which led to a panic attack and blacking out.” 

Noah sighed and lay down beside Stiles. He wiggled enough to pull his son into his arms and ruffled his hair for a second before hugging him tightly. Stiles buried himself in the offered love and safety, letting himself relax. He ignored the tears sliding from his eyes and onto his father's shoulder. He felt the bed shift as Derek got up. 

He didn’t hear Peter a Derek leave the room. He did hear when the door snicked close behind them. “They probably think I’m an idiot,” he sniffed but didn’t change his position. 

Noah chuckled slightly. “Those two have no foot to stand on when it comes to judging someone else. Peter’s reaction to emotional trauma is to plan mayhem and murder and Derek’s been taught to run before trying to deal with it. No Stiles a minor panic attack and passing out is probably a better way to go.”

Stiles huffed and poked his father’s shoulder. “At least I come by that naturally,” he scoffed. 

“By what?” Noah asked innocently. 

“Assholery.”

“Oh no kiddo. You don’t get that from me. That’s totally your mom. She even infected me with it. All Claudia’s fault,” Noah said, a grin in his voice. 

Stiles looked up to see his dad smiling fondly. He shook his head at his dad then struggled up to sit cross legged on the bed. Noah raised his eyebrows and pushed himself up until his back was against the headboard. He crossed his arms behind his head and waited. 

“I miss her you know?” Stiles rubbed his fingers together and started to watch them, fascinated. “This might sound really selfish, but I miss having someone look after us, after me. Self centered huh?”

“Not in the least kid. You were so young when we lost her. Then I went off the rails. And you had to grow up so fast to look after yourself and me. To keep us going until I got my head out of my ass. That’s on me kid and I’m truly sorry. But missing someone looking after you? That’s not self centered. That’s someone who knows the importance of others in his life, and someone who understands loss. We’re a whole damn house of people who get it kid. Every last one of us.”

Stiles nodded. “So Derek heard me having a freak out huh?”

“Heard it. Had a freak out himself trying to get to you. Almost broke down the door trying to get to you. If Peter had been a second later in getting to the door, we’d need to replace the thing. He opened the door for Derek who was half wolfed out by then. Derek scooped you up before you could hit the floor and I got him to bring you in here,” Noah’s voice was calm. Relaxed. Deliberately so. 

“You remembered?” Stiles asked softly. 

“I always put you in my bed. On my pillow when you had an attack. Yeah kid I remember. So question. Where d’you wanna sleep. Here like you used to or back in your own bed?”

Stiles stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “I think I’ll head back to my room. Might get a hot chocolate first. You want something?”

Noah shook his head. “Nah. I’m good kid. You feeling better?”

Stiles nodded. Then looked uncertain again. “It’s okay to still miss mom right? But feel okay about being looked after?”

“Perfectly okay kid. Perfectly okay. I’m kinda liking it too. But don’t tell Peter. It’ll go to his head.”

Stiles laughed and scooted off the bed. “Good night dad. See you in the morning.”

“Night kid.”

The kitchen wasn’t empty when he got there. The ingredients for his special hot chocolate were on the counter and Derek was sitting at the table, playing solitaire on his phone. With a small grin Stiles started making the hot chocolate. “So werewolf hearing?”

Derek nodded. 

“Peter?”

“Heard everything. He did a little dance too. I heard him. He’s sleeping now.”

“Don’t tell dad. Let him keep his illusion of hiding something from Peter.” Stiles stirred the warming mixture with the cinnamon stick carefully. “Do you think dad knows Peter is putting the moves on him? Does Peter?”

A plastic clang met his question. He looked at Derek who looked like he could pass out any second. “What?” Derek choked out. 

“Seriously dude? In the past few days? Dad gets his coffee handed to him. His lunch handed to him, by Peter. His shirts, pants etc laundered and ironed and placed where they belong. The rest of us have it given to us by you, coffee and breakfast, lunch, whatever it is. Even though it’s already been made for us by Peter. I have to put my own clothes away. Even though they’ve been washed and ironed. Peter is totally taking care of my dad. He even serves him first at dinner and he pouted, yes pouted the other night when dad was late. 

“But, I sorta got the idea that Peter was married. You know. Before?” Stiles finished, taking the saucepan of hot chocolate over to the sink where two mugs were waiting. 

Derek came up behind him and took the saucepan. He poured as he had the first night, then with a grin started to stretch the hot chocolate from one mug to the other. “He was. But it was an arrangement. He loved Olivia. She loved him. But they got married because aunt ‘Liv was in a bad situation. Getting married gave her a safe place to be. They were thinking about kids when the fire, happened.” Derek handed Stiles his drink then stretched the remaining hot chocolate for himself. 

He leaned on the counter next to Stiles while they drank. “Peter is going to do the ritual for Laura tomorrow night. It’s Friday and just before the full moon. It’s supposed to be the right time.”

“Does he have everything?”

Derek nodded then shrugged. “Says he does. Don’t really know, but it’ll be good to have Laura back. She can look at your car too.”

“What? You’re sick of playing chauffeur?” Stiles elbowed him. 

Derek grinned and finished off his drink. “Goodnight Stiles.”

“Goodnight Derek.” Stiles smiled his way into bed that night. 

*****

“Good you’re both here,” Peter said as he eyed Scott and Stiles where they were doing their homework in the living room.

“Dude, of course we’re here. Where else would we be?” Stiles scoffed, twirling his pen between his fingers.

“It’s Friday night, I don’t know, out? Parties?” Peter asked sitting down on the sofa beside Scott.

Scott started laughing. “Have you met us? We do not get invited to parties.”

“Weren’t you two at a party rather recently?” Peter asked.

Scott laughed again. “Yeah and look how that turned out. Me hiding in the bathroom, freaking out.”

“Of course it’s also the night we all met properly,” Stiles added. “So it wasn’t all bad.” He held out a fist to Derek as he walked past and grinned like an idiot when he received a fist bump.

Peter sighed and shook his head at the antics. “Well its good you’re here. I think it might be better to have as many members of the pack with me when I bring Laura back. The more pack around her, the more stability she’ll find.”

Stiles saw Derek stop and turn to look back at his uncle, his eyebrows drawing into a scowl, his lips drawn down. “So bringing her back with only you and probably me around could have made her unstable? And you knew that? Peter?” 

Peter shrugged. “I probably could have researched the ritual more but in my defense I wasn’t in my right mind when I came up with this entirely insane plan. So forgive me for overlooking a few things.”

“A few things?” Scott asked. “Should I call my mom to be there? Are we going to need medical intervention?”

“Scott,” Peter looked at his youngest beta seriously. “Laura is a werewolf. Even when she comes back she’ll be a werewolf. Medical intervention will be the last thing she’ll need.”

Derek perched on the arm of Stiles chair. “What is Laura going to need?”

Peter sniffed and sat back on the sofa. “She’s going to need you and me, strong and united. Scott of course, he’s bitten pack, a made Hale wolf. She’ll feel him, a new Hale wolf, a new pack, with established links, to the land and in time. If we can get our non wolf members to be there for her when the ritual brings her back, then she’ll be more grounded in her humanity than she would be if she senses only wolves around her.”

“So we should wait for my dad too, right?” Stiles asked.

“It would be much appreciated. Noah is, stable, solid. His presence would be very helpful tonight.” Peter steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on his knees.

Stiles pulled out his cell phone and texted his dad. It took only a few seconds for the reply to come back. “Dad says he’s almost done and should be home soon, if nothing comes up. I told him it was important he be with us tonight. But he’s a Sheriff, so you know...” he trailed off then looked back to Peter. “Do you have everything you need? Do we need anything else? Candles? Special herbs? Anything else?”

“No Stiles, well yes actually I do, but not right now. Later, I’ll need something from every member of the pack who is going to be there for her raising. But for now I have everything,” Peter answered.

“So, you gonna tell us what this raising ritual is?” Stiles asked. “Cause Scott looks like he’s gonna do himself an injury from trying to not ask.”

All eyes turned to Scott who was indeed squirming on the sofa and chewing the end of his pen. “What?” Scott asked with a shrug.

“Nothing Scotty, nothing. Peter? The ritual?” Stiles turned back to Peter.

“Well ah. Her body must be reunited. Our blood spilled for her and I call her back as her Alpha. One, two, three. As easy as A.B.C.” Peter said.

“Wait if it’s that easy, why couldn’t we, you know…” Derek looked carefully at his uncle.

Peter stood carefully and walked to his last remaining nephew. He knelt on the floor in front of him and took his hands in his own. “I wish there had been a ritual to return all we lost to us. But I know of none. I can only bring Laura back because she gave her Spark to me willingly. She made the sacrifice of her life and her Alpha to help me heal. I promised her I would not leave her to the dark. And I won’t. She felt guilty for leaving me in danger for so long, for leaving me alone. So she sacrificed herself. Tonight I fulfill my promise to her, return her to her pack.”

“She was Alpha, Peter. You’re not about to return that to her are you. So what’s her role now?” Derek asked.

“Your mother trained her to be Alpha, but I never saw that in her. It was more that Talia didn’t want another male Alpha if she could help it. Our great-grandfather was the last male alpha for our pack and we did not prosper. His beliefs and discriminations hurt us greatly. Talia and our siblings lost contact a with much loved aunt and uncle because the man was a homophobic asshole. Before he died he arranged for my own marriage. I was only a child. My mother, the next Alpha, tried to break the contract but doing so would have put Livvy in danger, so we went through with it when we came of age. She even tried to bring back the pack members we’d lost but they wouldn’t have anything to do with us, not that I could blame them. Werewolves have a long memory and can hold a grudge, you know.

“Anyway, as for Laura’s new position in the pack. I was thinking of training her as our new Sinister. She’ll need training of course but she has the ability. She always had. She knows how to hide, even in plain sight if she needs to. So yes, I’ll offer her the Sinister role, if she wants it. If she doesn’t then we’ll wait and see where she wants to be within the pack.” Peter stood and walked to the kitchen coming back with some soda cans. He handed them out before sitting back on the sofa.

“Okay, my research has not given me any of this,” Stiles started, hands already waving. “People have roles in packs? What’s Derek’s? Scott’s? Mine? Dad’s? You gotta tell me. Come on I gotta know.”

Derek wrapped his hand around the back of Stiles’ neck. “Calm down Stiles. Calm down.”

“Your father and you haven’t got definite roles in the pack yet Stiles,” Peter told him. “Human members decide on their own roles, their own strengths. Your father will probably slot in as our Justice, he’s got an innate sense of what is right and wrong after all. You though? We’ll have to wait and see where you will fit yourself. Scott of course is a Beta, a new one who’ll need training. Derek was in charge of training his younger brothers, sisters and cousins. I think he’d like to do that again. He was always good with teaching new wolves and caring for the younger or weaker of the pack. Hence the driving you two to and from school on a daily basis. Derek has always been a carer, that hasn’t changed much over the years it seems.” 

Peter and Derek cocked their heads to the side together. “Your dad’s home,” Derek said, standing to head for the door. Opening it before Noah was even on the porch. Noah stepped into the house, his brows raised and a smirk on his lips. “Thanks Derek. Always nice to have someone open the door for me. So what’s so important I had to be here for it?”

“Oh well you know, just bringing Laura back tonight. That’s all Dadio,” Stiles said nonchalantly. “You knew that was happening tonight? Right?”

Noah dropped his satchel on a chair and ran his hand over his face. “Yes Stiles, I did know. I just didn’t know it was going to be a spectator event. I thought maybe it was family only.”

“More, pack only, Noah. Thank you for coming home so early.” Peter stood and took Noah’s sheriff’s hat from him to hang on a hook by the door. “Why don’t you secure your weapon. There are some sandwiches already made in the fridge. The ritual won’t be until after moonrise. We have time.”

“Great because I need a shower and some food. Peter make sure those ravenous hyenas we call kids leave me some sandwiches.” Noah headed to his lock box.

“Of coarse Noah,” Peter said softly. 

Stiles swallowed hard. “So ah Peter, what was your role in Talia’s Pack?”

“I was the Sinister. I investigated, hunted and removed threats to the pack, under my Alpha’s orders. I sometimes wish I hadn’t followed those orders so well.” His gaze turned to Derek for a few seconds. Then he got up and went to the kitchen, returning with a mountain of sandwiches. “Eat, I have Noah’s safe.”

Stiles watched as the three of them fell on those sandwiches like a pack of well, wolves. 

Stiles eventually patted his stomach. With a sigh he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed a soda. He took it outside and sat on one of the chairs there just looking at the sky rapidly approaching dark. 

“Great sunset huh, dude?” Scott sighed sitting in the other chair. 

“Aha,” Stiles casually made the affirmative noise. 

“Stiles man, I can hear you thinking. What are you worried about? Is it the ritual? Is there a problem?” Scott asked wringing his hands. 

Stiles started to shake his head, then looked at his best friend. He couldn’t lie to Scott and most of it concerned him anyway. “I need to ask you something.”

Scott nodded. 

“How. Are. You? And I mean, think about it before you answer. A lot has happened in like a couple of weeks. How are you coping?” Stiles asked. 

Scott scrubbed his hands through his hair, puffing breath through his lips. “Dude. I. Huh. Well I’m not really sure, you know? It’s like I’m different. So different. My asthma is just gone. I’m not like the sick weak kid anymore. I can do things there was no way I could do before. And Derek’s been teaching me, training me how to mesh and work with my wolf instead of against it. He says the full moon is going to be tough, but I can do it you know? I feel like I can. I have Derek and Peter both telling me I’ll be fine. I won’t be alone. And I can feel that. 

“Since dad left I’ve had mom, you and your dad. And god, I love you all for that. You’ve all kept me alive. Now, now I have mom, you and your dad, Derek and Peter and hopefully Laura. It’s like I went from having a tiny family to getting a huge one. I feel like I got people in my corner that don’t have to play by the rules. 

“I know that doesn’t make sense but somehow I feel safer now. It sorta feels like I’ve got a dad again, only if Peter ever tries to date my mom, I’ll rip his throat out.”

“With your teeth?” Derek asked as he stepped out onto the porch. 

Scott and Stiles both turned to him. “Eavesdropping?” Stiles asked. 

“Werewolves don’t need to eavesdrop, Stiles. We have excellent hearing. But yes we heard pretty much everything. And you’re right Scott. The Alpha and I have your back. Just like we’d expect you to have ours. Having said that, we make special considerations for our human pack members. In any situation they are our first priority, their safety comes first. Always. Anyway, Peter says the ritual needs to be performed around midnight, so he suggested going to get some ice cream. Interested?”

Stiles was on his feet in a second, Scott not really any slower. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Derek smirked. He pulled his keys out of his jeans pocket and tossed them from hand to hand. “Grab your shit and meet me at the Camaro.”  
*****

“Thanks Derek.” Stiles took just chocolate, hazelnut and chestnut gelato from the attendant and turned to Derek, finding him handing over his credit card while licking his own gelato. 

“Allison, hi,” Stiles turned to see Scott talking to the new girl in school. He waved at her too. 

“Come on D. That’s Allison over there. Scott has that massive crush on her remember. Let’s go say hi.” He tugged on Derek’s sleeve to get him moving. 

“Hey Stiles, Derek. Getting some dessert huh? Mom and I talked Dad into it. There they are now,” she turned to point at two adults walking into the store. 

Stiles felt Derek stiffen beside him. Heard his breathing stutter. He plastered a smile on his face and made a mental list of questions to ask about later. 

“Mom, dad. These are some kids from school Scott and Stiles and this is Derek. He gave me a lift home from that party. Guys these are my folks. Victoria and Chris Argent.”Allison made the introductions with an innocent smile on her face. 

“Hi Mr and Mrs Argent. I’m really happy to meet you,” Scott said, oblivious to what was happening behind him. 

Stiles waved his ice cream at them with a nod but he noticed that Mr. Argent had ignored them in favor of looking at Derek. And Derek got stiff enough Stiles was worried he’d break. Suddenly Stiles had enough. Derek was his friend, his pack and Stiles was worried for him. “What the hell Mr.A. There are kids here and your wife and daughter. There’s no undressing someone with your eyes here.”

“Stiles!” Scott exclaimed. 

“Scott. Stiles. Car. Now.” Derek said through his teeth, his ice cream crumbling in his fist. 

“But-“

“Let’s go Scotty. Bye Alli.” Stiles pulled Scott behind him until he could push Scott inside the Camaro. He slammed his door a second before Derek slammed his own, started the car and gunned it out of there. 

“Not a word,” he said through his teeth, his eyes flashing blue in the rear view mirror at Scott. They parked in the Stilinski driveway minutes later. “Out.” Derek ground and Scott scrambled out.

Stiles sat there, licking his ice cream calmly. “Stiles,” Derek sighed. “Get out. I need some time.”

“Nah dude. You need some gelato. Yours got killed. Try mine. It’s awesome. Here.” He shoved the rest of his dessert under Derek’s nose, making him blink and look down, almost crossing his eyes. 

With a look of resignation he stuck out his tongue and took a tiny lick. He blinked and looked surprised. Taking another lick. 

“Good huh? Mom taught me the combo. Always makes me feel great. Look D you don’t have to tell me. But I’m here either way. So what you say to us sitting out here and finishing this gelato?” He saw Derek relax and heard the car doors locking. It was a good thing he didn’t mind sharing his dessert.

The gelato was a pleasant memory and Stiles was very comfortable. Sort of. His legs were cramped but his pillow was great. He felt safe and secure. The banging he heard did not belong. His pillow jerked under him. Stiles opened his eyes and looked to find the noise. Peter stood outside of the car. His fist raised to knock on the window. Again. The doors unlocked and Peter opened his door.

“Well. If you two are done here, it’s almost time to head off to retrieve your sister. And Noah would like proof his under aged son hasn’t been ravished by the big bad wolf in his driveway. Get inside.”

“What?” Stiles managed to say before noticing just how he was almost curled into Derek’s lap, using him as a pillow and heating pad.

“Peter,” Derek sighed, helping Stiles back into his own seat. “Come on Stiles. Go see your dad.”

Stiles struggled out of the car, his legs stiff from the awkward position. He stretched then poked Peter in the chest as he walked past him. “Behave yourself.” His dad was waiting for him at the door, his eyebrows a little worried, and a lot unimpressed. “Yes, yes dad. You can yell at me as soon as I’m done in the bathroom.”

Five minutes later Stiles came back to the living room to find Peter pulling a back pack over his shoulder and his father was putting a coffee mug down on the coffee table. “Time?” he asked.

“Time,” Noah answered. “And you’re not in trouble. Werewolf ears remember. We just thought you should come inside, just in case, before we headed out. Peter doesn’t know exactly how long this will take. Everyone ready? Good. Everyone in the cruiser.”

The drive to the Preserve was silent. Stiles sat in the back between Derek and Scott. Every time Stiles legs would start to bounce, one of them would clamp a hand on his knee to calm him down. Noah parked the cruiser at the entrance and Peter turned to face them. “I want you all to head to the old Hale house. Wait for Derek and I there. We’ll get Laura. Noah, if you could take my bag?”

“Hang on Peter. Laura’s body is at the morgue. Both parts.” Noah said confused.

“Well she was.” Peter began. “She no longer is. I’ve hidden her in the Preserve. Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies, dearest.” Peter looked back a Noah and grinned at him with a saucy wink.

Noah wiped a hand over his face and sighed. “Fine, but you will tell me later. Especially if one of mine is on the take.”

“Noah, I’d never place you in such a position,” Peter grinned. “Okay. Time to get started.” He faced forward again and opening the door, slid out of the car.

Stiles felt Derek suck in a deep breath and steal himself before stepping out of the car and heading to stand by his uncle. Peter swung an arm over his shoulders and they stepped into the preserve and into darkness. “Umm dad? Are they going to be okay?” Stiles asked.

“I don’t know if any of us are going to be okay kid. But we will be fine. Come on lets go.” Noah got out of the car with Stiles and Scott sliding out after him. Noah locked the cruiser and they set off for the remains of the Hale house. 

His father’s flash light the only light to see by after only a few steps. “How’s the investigation going dad?”

“It’s going kid. Its going. Slow but there are a few things panning out. I’ve managed to dig up some new information and new leads. Watch your step here Stiles. The ground’s full of roots.” Noah stepped over the large root his flash light had exposed, leaving the light on it for Scott and Stiles.

“Hey Scott, do you even need the flash light’s light to see?” Stiles asked.

“Umm, not really, I think. I mean I ran all the way to your place without any extra light and I remember I could see everything. So probably not. We’re close to the house I think. I can sorta smell old burned wood?” Scott didn’t sound too sure of what he was saying but a turn in the path showed the remains of the old Hale house.

“Well. Now I suppose we wait,” Noah walked toward the house, sitting down on the step. “I don’t think Peter and Derek will be long.”

“You know me so well, Noah.” Peter came out of the dark, carrying something in his arms. Derek followed, something in his arms and even at this distance Stiles could see a suspicious shine in his eyes. They came forward to what Stiles estimated would have been the center of the yard and set their burdens down. Derek stepped away a few steps while Peter made the final adjustments.

Stiles followed his father to the werewolves. He walked around until he stood beside Derek. “You okay?” he whispered.

Derek gave a small shrug and a sniff before saying “Yes,” softly.

“I’m here, if you know, you need…” Stiles trailed off.

“Yeah. Thanks,” Derek said bumping his shoulder to Stiles’.

“Noah, my back pack please.” Peter held out his hand to take the bag. He dropped it beside him on the ground and opened it up. “Laura would skin me alive if I brought her back while her face was covered in anything, including dirt, dust and anything from the morgue,” he murmured removing a pack of wet wipes and using them to wipe Laura’s now uncovered face. Once he was happy there, he took some fresh wipes and used them on her hands. After a minute or so he dug in his bag for a plastic bag which he placed the used wipes into. 

Then he pulled out a bowl and two knives. He shut his bag again and stood up. “Well then. I think we’re ready to start. The ritual is rather simple. We will all cut our hand or anywhere else you wish to cut, but you will collect the blood in this bowl. Derek, Scott and I will use this knife which has been coated in Wolfsbane. Noah, you and Stiles will use the black handled knife. You don’t need the Wolfsbane to bleed and I don’t want to risk either of you having our blood mixed with yours. I don’t know what would happen, if anything would happen, but I really don’t want to find out right now. 

“Once you collect you blood, pour it on to her face, slowly. And repeat this, I suppose it could be classed as an incantation, a summoning? Regardless. Say this. I, state your full name, by my blood, by my right as pack, by my place as Beta of the Hale pack, by my need as family, call you Laura Talia Hale, to return from beyond. I call you back. I will you here. I wish you home. Awaken now. Once your turn is taken, pass the bowl and knife to the next person. I will start, then Scott, Noah, Stiles, Derek and then back to me. Noah and Stiles, obviously you name yourselves as humans of the Hale pack and Derek you would name yourself as brother to Laura as I will name myself as Uncle and Alpha.

“Everyone practice it so you know exactly what you need to say before the time comes. We’ll begin in a few minutes. Don’t go far.” Peter turned away and walked off a few steps.

Stiles stood where he was. He couldn’t stop looking at Laura. Her dark brown hair brushed off her face to fan around her. Her face still and cold in deadly sleep. She looked peaceful and wasn’t that a trip. He made himself go through the incantation in his head, eventually whispering it to himself. He felt someone rub his back. He looked up to find his dad looking at him worriedly. 

“You okay kid?”

“Yeah? Maybe? I’ll probably be better after this.”

“I wish…I don’t even know what I wish,” Noah sighed.

“Yeah I get it. If we weren’t involved, well Scotty would be screwed. And Derek and Peter would be even more than screwed. So it’s a good thing we are involved. Has Peter said when he wants Melissa brought in to this. Scotty is finding it hard not to tell her and she’s going to break him sooner rather than later.”

“As soon as we can get Laura on her feet and settled. We probably should have told her already. A steadying female influence would not have been a bad idea, but the more people that know, well you know the rest. But I’ll make sure it won’t be long.” Noah ruffled his son’s hair, then went back to the where he’d been before. 

Peter came back to them and looked around. “I think we need some more light.” He stooped back to his bag and took out some fat squat candles. He lit them carefully using a lighter from his pocket and set them randomly on the ground at their feet. “There now. Shall we begin?” Without waiting he took the knife a sliced his palm open, dripping his blood into the bowl that Stiles finally noticed was made of Rose Quartz. After about a minute Peter closed his hand and took the small towel Derek handed him. What else was in that bag, Stiles wondered.

Peter straightened his shoulders and held the bowl over Laura’s face. He dipped the bowl and the dark liquid began to fall slowly on her. “I, Peter Alexander Hale, by my blood, by my right as Pack, by my place as Uncle and right as Alpha of the Hale Pack, by my need as family, call you Laura Talia Hale, to return from beyond. I call you back. I will you here. I wish you home. Awaken Now.” Peter let the rest of the blood fall. 

Stiles had been watching Peter when he began speaking, now he looked down at Laura’s body, expecting to see her beautiful face covered in blood. Instead her face was clean. There was no blood anywhere. He was so shocked he missed Scott cutting his hand and taking his turn until Scott started speaking. Stiles looked up quickly, then let his gaze follow the slow path of the blood falling. It fell to Laura’s face, pooled in her hair. Then as Scott started calling Laura back the blood started to disappear, as if it was being absorbed into her.

He heard his father begin to speak, saw his blood begin to pour and then become absorbed. He readied himself so he wouldn’t fuck this up. He vaguely wondered why his ADHD hadn’t been so bad recently. Maybe he’d try to figure that out later. Then the knife was in his hand and his dad was holding the bowl. Ready for him. He cut his palm without thinking, hissing a little at the sting. The knife had to have been damned sharp for his nerves to only register a sharp sting. He saw his blood running into the bowl his father was still holding for him. After a minute or something like that his cut hand was taken in someone elses and a small towel pressed to the cut. He looked at the hand holding his and noticed faint black lines. Derek held his hand and was siphoning off any pain. “I’m okay D. It doesn’t hurt,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

Derek looked him in the eye and nodded once.

Stiles looked back at his dad and took the bowl when it was offered. He closed his eyes and willed his brain to work properly. He started to pour slowly and began his incantation. “I, Mieczyslaw Seweryn Stilinski, by my blood, by my right as Pack, by my place as human member of the Hale Pack, by my need as family, call you Laura Talia Hale, to return from beyond. I call you back. I will you here. I wish you home. Awaken Now.” he upended the bowl in his hand completely and watched the last drops fall onto Laura to be absorbed by her. He felt a warmth come to life in his chest, a flame, weak but there. 

He turned to Derek. He held the knife his uncle and Scott had used. He sliced at his hand almost viciously and Stiles thrust the bowl to catch the blood under the cut hand before any blood could escape. The bowl filled quickly. Stiles saw Peter looking through the bag then look at the cloth he still held to his own cut, they must be out of towels, Stiles thought. Without blinking he clasped his cut hand to Derek’s cut one. The towel squashed between them. It wasn’t really comfortable, but he could deal with it. 

Derek blinked back at him, Stiles shrugged and handed over the nearly full bowl of blood. Derek took it and started to call his sister back. Stiles could feel him shaking, but his voice was steady from start to finish.

Soon it was Peter’s turn again to finish and close their circle. This time when he call Laura back it sounded more like a command. A demand. His eyes were flashing red and when Stiles looked at Derek and Scott, their eyes were blue and gold. The wolves were calling to Laura as much as the humans were.

“Well you don’t have to yell, asshole. I heard you perfectly well.” The voice was rough and weak, but getting stronger by the second. They all looked down. Derek and Peter dropped to their knees and took the hands offered to them. “I could use a hand getting up.”

“Maybe you should check you’re all in one piece first,” Stiles heard his own voice and wanted to kick his own ass. Why the hell had he reminded the previously dead girl that she’d been cut in two just seconds before.

“Oh he’s something special. Don’t worry little mischief, I’m all in one piece. Now help me up, and Alpha I expect some proper introductions to the new members of our pack.” 

“As you wish Laura. Glad to have you back,” Peter drawled.

Peter and Derek pulled her to her feet and suddenly she was in Derek’s arms and he wasn’t letting her go any time soon. Stiles couldn’t hear what was being said but he didn’t need to. It was obvious.

Noah pulled Stiles into a side hug, then with a sigh did the same to Scott. 

Laura went from Derek’s arms straight into Peter’s and the amount of shaking and whispering there was almost even more intense. When she pulled away they were both frantically wiping at their faces. Derek had stood at their side the entire time, now his arms twitched and Laura pulled him to her again, then leaned them on their uncle. He flashed red eyes and wrapped them in close. When they finally disentangled themselves they all showed their gold, blue or red eyes to the world, unashamed and unafraid in their tiny pack.

Peter sighed and strolled to where Stiles was curled into his father. With a flourish he produced a square of white and handed it to Stiles. Confused Stiles took it, pulling enough from his father to stand up straight. It was only then he realized his face was wet. He blinked his eyes and more wetness slid down. He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Trust me to behave like a Disney Princess,” he muttered, using the handkerchief to wipe his face dry.

“Well, every Prince Charming needs his Disney Princess,” the voice was female and as sarcasstic as Stiles own inner monologue was eighty percent of the time.

“If you think that Peter could be my Prince Charming, you’ve been gone too long,” Stiles said, only cringing inwardly when he heard his father’s groan. “Yeah, I could have worded that better,” Stiles muttered.

Laura was laughing though. Hands braced on knees laughing so Stiles cut himself a small break, if she didn’t mind the dead joke, maybe he’d live.

“Oh no Mischief, Peter hasn’t got a hope in hell of being your Prince Charming. His tastes run toward the older type, as do yours, judging by the exchange of pheromones this little old nose can smell. You know, we never discuss it, but there are some who can always tell when one of our pack has met someone they’re compatible with. It’s sort of a gift. On the other hand having a nose that sensitive can apparently make life hell.”

“Were you born that way. I mean could you always tell?” Stiles had to ask.

Laura shook her head. “Not really. My nose was always a little more sensitive than average but this ability to decipher scent exchange only developed a few years ago. Now, introductions please.”

Peter stepped up beside her. “Laura Hale, I’d like to introduce the newest members of the Hale Pack. this is my new Beta, Scott McCall. This is the town Sheriff, Noah Stilinski and his son Stiles. They’re human and have not expressed any desire for the bite. Scott I bit, when I wasn’t completely myself.”

“After we turned me into a two part sacrifice?” She asked.

Peter swallowed and nodded. “Yes. I was trying to heal and mourn and come to terms with everything at the same time. I honestly think I would have gone on a complete rampage if Scott hadn’t run to the Sheriff’s house at our second meeting and Noah hadn’t put his foot down. We, I, have a lot to thank them for. A lot to thank you for.”

Laura eyed Noah up and down thoughtfully. Then she grinned. “You threatened a rolled up newspaper, didn’t you?”

Noah burst out laughing.

“More like a rolled up phone book. Where he’d find one of those these days I have no idea,” Stiles snarked back.

Noah smacked him lightly on the back of the head. “Behave young man. Now Ms. Hale, not that I’m trying to tell you anything, but, your clothes are currently morgue scrubs and not doing a very good job, and since I know your Uncle goes nowhere unprepared, I’m sure he has some clothes in his magic bag of tricks for you to change into.”

Laura smiled sweetly at Noah, then turned to her Uncle and elbowed him. “Oh I like him. You should really keep him Peter. But he’s right. Clothes please.” She held out her hand regally.

Peter draped the strap over it and without a glance at the rest of them she walked off behind a tree. “So how long?” she asked.

“Just over a week. Full moon is in a couple of nights. We’ll do a full run then.” Peter answered.

“We have another problem,” Derek said quietly. “That’s what I was freaking out about before.”

Five heads turned to Derek who’d been silent all this time, including Laura’s from behind her tree.

“Chris and Victoria Argent are in town, along with their daughter Allison.”

“Allison? What about Allison?” Scott spoke up quickly. “Besides, they’ve been here for a while. Alli started at school I think probably the day after I got bit. And you drove her home Derek. Why are they a problem?”

“I didn’t know who she was until tonight Scott and she might not be a problem, or she is. I’m not sure and its not my decision to make.”

“What does that mean?” Scott asked confused and heading to belligerent.

“He means, as Beta, it’s not his to decide whether someone or some thing is dangerous. It’s the Alpha’s choice, the Alpha’s decision. And my decision is to always find the Argents dangerous. They hunt us for a calling. Hunting us is a way of life for them. One that caused the almost complete annihilation of this Pack.” he held up a hand when Scott was about to cut in. “However. I have always heard that Chris Argent follows the Code. I will reserve judgment until we have spoken. That shall have to suffice for now. We should be heading home.”

“Right then. I’m all dressed. Lead the way. I think it might be story time sooner rather than later. I’m surprised you haven’t filled the rest in on our history, Peter.” Laura hooked her arm through Derek’s as they started moving. She handed the bag back to her Uncle who was looking at the ground. “Everything’s back in the bag.”

“Thank you,” he said slipping the strapover his shoulder. “And I wanted to get you back first. The passing on of our history has of late been the responsibility of the Sinister.”

“Aha, that’s why I would have...Oh you want to ask me to take the role. The duty. To investigate, ferret out dangers and protect the pack...Uncle Peter, Alpha, I’m not sure I deserve it. I left you and took Derek. Cut our bonds and ran. I don’t deserve the role. I don’t think I’m strong enough for it.” her voice was soft and sad.

“Laura. Did you not just sacrifice your life and your Alpha Spark to heal a member of your pack? Did you not willingly die for me?” Peter asked.

“Well yeah, but, but before. When it all went to shit, I ran. Took Derek and ran.” her voice was at breaking point and Stiles wandered if he should interfere. His father’s hand squeezing his shoulder kept him quiet.

Peter turned and ran his hand over her hair. “Laura , Sweetheart. You were just a kid when you became the Alpha. Barely seventeen and traumatized. You did what your Alpha had always said to do. When in danger, grab your younger siblings and run. You felt all of our bonds breaking, felt your family dying and broke the connections so you wouldn’t be pulled into pain and death with them. I smothered mine as much as I could too. It’s instinct. But now you are older and when I needed you to die for me you did, without qualm or question. So yes I do believe you would be an admirable Sinister, if you wish it that is.” Peter turned from her again and started walking, his pack following slowly behind him.

“Damn,” Laura said in awe to her brother . “I’d forgotten how good Peter was.”

“Yep good old Uncle P. He can build you up or break you down in a second,” Derek answered, snorting when Peter through a grin and wink at him over his shoulder.

“Ah, Miss Hale?” Noah spoke up.

Laura quirked a disappointed eye brow at him over the few paces separating them. “We’re pack Noah, so you’re Noah and I’m Laura. Got it?”

“Got it, Laura. I have a question to ask,” Noah said.

“You keep calling Stiles, Little Mischief, why?” Noah enquired.

Laura bit her lip for a second before answering. “This is gonna sound crazy, but I died and came back, so there you go. When I died. While I was in the dark. This stream of light came to meet me. I thought that’s it. I’m really truly dead. Peter actually killed me. That’s that god-damned white light everyone talks about. But, it was streaming to me, not the other way around. So I stood there and waited. It didn’t take long and then this light was right in my face. A second later and there was this woman. I recognized her. She looked just like my old English teacher.”

Stiles caught his breath, heard is father gasp and saw Derek still all at the same time.

“Mrs. S. She looked just like Mrs. S. She hugged me. Told me she’s been watching and how proud my parents would have been of me. Also that there were a few decisions I needed my ass paddled for but all in all I’d done the best I could. Then she told me she’d wait with me until Peter called me back and while we waited she was going to tell me a few things. Things I’d have to remember and do something about when I woke up.

“She gave me messages for her son and husband and I was to call Stiles Little Mischief if they didn’t believe me. But she always referred to Stiles as Little Mischief so I guess that stuck with me. I hope you don’t mind.”

Stiles felt the world move from under him and he was free falling. Something jerked up hard and he looked to see Derek had an arm around him, keeping him off the forest floor. 

“You tripped,” Derek said putting him back on his feet carefully.

Stiles nodded and sniffed. “Oh hell am I crying again? Where the hell did I put that hanky?” He started to pat himself down. Something soft touched his cheek. Looking up he found Derek wiping his face for him.

“You handed Peter’s to your dad. Take mine.” Derek shifted back to stand beside his sister and uncle. They had all stopped apparently while Stiles had a bout of gravity. 

“Thanks,” Stiles said softly, taking the square of fabric and finished off wiping his tears. Then he carefully slipped it into his front jeans pocket. He caught Laura grinning at him.

“Like I said for every Disney Princess there has to be a Prince Charming. Complete with freshly laundered handkerchiefs. And if you’re wondering where Peter’s one actually is…” she trailed off leadingly, gaze going away from Stiles.

He followed that gaze, finding his father wiping at his face with Peter’s handkerchief. He huffed a small chuckle. “Like father, like son I suppose.” Then he shrugged and looked back at Laura. “So do you really think it was my mom?” His voice almost stuck on the last word, but he forced the word out.

Laura shrugged. “I’m not sure, but she knew a lot of stuff I didn’t. And stuff I did too. She told me things about you guys and what to tell you. And stuff about us, the pack and where everything went so wrong. She also told you something Sheriff.”

Noah straightened. “What did she say,” his voice was steady but sad.

Laura hooked her arm through his and they slowly started to walk again. “She said she loved you and always would. You gave her the high light of her existence and made every day she had with you a treasure. She has a few things for you to do. One she wants you move to on now. Not with Melissa however, the would be too close to you being with her sister. She did want me to tell you however that Peter could always use a leash, sometimes physical, sometimes metaphorical.” 

They all glanced to Peter who was trying to survive a coughing fit. With a sigh Noah stepped over to him and pounded him on the back with a smirk. “Claudia was always a wicked woman. I guess she remembered how many times I’d have to put the cuffs on you in your wild days. But I never considered a leash.”

“I-I-would not look good on a leash,” Peter spluttered.

Noah’s smirk got bigger and he leaned forward to whisper in Peter’s ear.

Stiles saw Derek blush. He looked at Scott who was tomato red and then Laura who was biting her lip. It seemed she’d be his best bet. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her. “You have got to tell me, please for the love of god, tell me,” he demanded frantically.

Grinning Laura pulled him around so she could whisper in his ear. “Your dad told Peter that yes he would look gorgeous on a leash and Peter would put it on himself if your dad asked him to.” She pulled back from Stiles. “I like your dad.” She winked.

Stiles knew he’d brought that shit on himself but he didn’t know what to do with what he’d been told, so instead of dealing with it he pulled Derek around and buried his face in Derek’s chest. “If I don’t think about it I can ignore it. Right? Tell me I’m right D. Please tell me I’m right.”

Derek rubbed his back. “Don’t make me lie to you Stiles.” Derek’s voice was defeated.

Stiles slumped. “No kid should ever know about their folks kinky sex lives,” he mumbled.

Noah sighed at looked at his son. “If you hadn’t demanded to know then you could have stayed ignorant. Now come on let’s get home. It’s been a long day and night for me. And no Stiles, I’m not hopping into bed with Peter or anyone else. Not tonight. Scott, did you want to stay with us tonight or go home?”

“I’d like to stay Sir,” Scott said. His face eager to stick around and watch the shenanigans.

“Fine. You’re with Stiles. Peter has the guestroom. Derek’s already called dibs on the sofa and Laura gets the pull out in the study. Hustle people, the nights wasting.” They started off again, this time following the Sheriff and his flashlight.

The strange sound didn’t register as anything to Stiles, but the wolves stopped short. Then Derek had him on the ground, covering him with his body and Laura was covering his dad, while pulling Scott down with her so he could cover what Laura couldn’t. Peter though stood straight, drawing all eyes to him.

Above him Derek whimpered softly.

“What’s going on?” Stiles whispered.

“Hunters,” Derek said back shortly.

“Which ones?”

Stiles heard and felt Derek swallow. “Argents. K-K-Kate.”

Things Stiles hadn’t known he was really thinking about fell into place in his brain when he heard the break in Derek’s voice. “Dad,” he whispered and saw his father’s head turn to him. “Derek says its Argents. Kate too.”

Three werewolves turned to look at him and Derek hunkered down trying to hide his face in Stiles’ neck for a second before Stiles heard Laura and Peter whispering to him. After a second he relaxed and lifted his face, giving them a slow nod.  
“Okay. Okay. Laura. Let me up. Scott you too. Both of you let me up. Derek, get Stiles to his feet. We are not about to be treated like damsels in distress.” Stiles saw his father push until Laura and Scott pulled him to his feet. 

Reluctantly Derek pulled him up too.

“Now. Peter. You stand right here.” Noah pointed to a spot beside him and after blinking a few times, Peter went there. “Laura. Here.” Noah pointed again on his other side. And Laura went. “Derek, Scott, Stiles behind us. Stiles between you.” They all followed orders. When Noah was happy he faced where the wolves said the noice had come from. “Get your asses out here, now!” Noah yelled.

Eventually three people came forward. Stiles smirked but grabbed Scott’s hand.

“Well hi there Mr and Mrs Argent, hi Alli. Nice to see you again so soon. That’s twice in one night. Are you enjoying a nice walk in the woods? Ooh nice guns,” Stiles knew he was being a little shit, and didn’t want to change it. He felt Derek stiffen then almost relax beside him, while he shook his head as if he couldn’t believe the shit coming out of his mouth. Noah had his fore finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, he could believe the shit that came out of his son’s mouth, obviously.

“Well since my son has already asked, I don’t have to,” Noah said.

“Oh we’re really not up to anything Sheriff. Just taking our daughter on her first hunt,” Victoria Argent answered. Her voice tight and cold.

“A hunt huh. Well I hope you have your hunting permit. Your tags and license? Area you may hunt in? Had your weapons checked and authorized by the Sheriff at the station? Oh wait. I’m the Sheriff from the station and i know I haven’t approved any weapons for you, or signed off on you hunting in the Preserve. I know you haven’t been here long, so you don’t know how things work here, so I might just let you off with a warning,” Noah had his full Sheriff voice going.

“But dad. You know the saying. Ignorance of the law…”

“True Stiles, ignorance of the law is no excuse, but one can always make an exception. So, what were you planning on hunting? Allison?” Noah asked the girl. 

She was caught waving her fingers at Scott who grinned at her like a goof. “Oh um, mum and dad said there were rabid wolves in the preserve and that maybe we should be good citizens and help out.”

“Rabid wolves? Really?” Peter asked, the mock shock large in his voice. “I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed my dear. There are no wolves in California, rabid or otherwise.”

“Argent before we go any further,” Noah took the conversation back. “Why don’t you have your sister join us from her hiding place. We wouldn’t want an accident here, now would we. especially in front of your daughter, who doesn’t seem to understand anything of what is actually going on.”

“And what’s going on?” Chris Argent asked suspiciously.

“Call your sister.” Noah said again.

Chris lifted his head and called out. “Kate! There. Done.” 

Derek started an almost sub vocal growl, Stiles could feel it vibrating along his arm where they were touching. He slid his hand down to wrap his fingers around Derek’s. “Please understand why I’m about to do what I’m about to do. I don’t want to hurt you, but they have guns and we don’t. We need to shake their ground before this all goes to hell in a hand basket. Okay?” Stiles whispered frantically. He looked to Derek who looked back. Then his eyes shuttered for a second as he understood what Stiles was about to do. His hold on Stiles hand tightened for a long few seconds then he nodded. 

“I trust you,” Derek whispered and Stiles didn’t know whether to hate himself or not for what he was about to do. He figured he could hate himself later when they had the luxury of all living through this night.

He sucked in a deep breath. “Heads up folks, child molester on the prowl. Lock up your sons and daughters. She’s a real killer.” Stiles was rather proud of the amount of sass he’d put into that little statement. 

The quiet that followed his announcement could be cut with a knife.

It took a few seconds before Chris Argent spoke up, in the meantime, Kate had stalked over to stand by Allison, rifle over her shoulder. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Stiles, quiet!” His father snapped at him.

Stiles grinned at the Argents and mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key. He heard the small snicker from Derek beside him and counted getting that tiny reaction as a win.

“Well,” Noah sighed and Stiles could hear the ‘I am one hundred percent done with this bullshit,’ in his father’s sigh.

“It seems that either my son has been listening into conversations he shouldn’t have or he’s as smart as I always thought he was,” Noah said.

“Or it could be the late night hot chocolate sessions,” Peter added.

Stiles cut his gaze to the Alpha, smirking back when he received a wink.

“That still doesn’t explain that statement,” Victoria Argent’s voice could have been sheared off the side of a glacier.

“Mrs. Argent. I’m the local law enforcement. So please believe me that I do know the law. Every aspect of it. So now I’m going to propose a scenario to you. A young girl, around oh fifteen, younger even than your little girl, Allison there. She’s gone through something traumatic. Something she couldn’t discuss with a professional, because of some special reasons, but regardless, she’s gone through something traumatic, seen someone she cared for die. A few months later, after this girl has isolated herself from most family and friends, eventually meets this older man, who as far as she knows has no connection to her past, no connection to anything that could remind her of the trauma.” 

Noah hadn’t moved from his spot, but Stiles knew every eye was on him and the story he was weaving. Instinct made him glance at Kate. Her lips were stretched into a nonchalant grin, but it was forced, white around the edges. Her gaze was fixated on his father, and Stiles read pure hate in them. He squeezed Derek’s hand, making a sharp move with his chin at the hunter. Derek squeezed back that he understood. He stiffened beside Stiles, ready to move if it was needed.

“Now you see, this older man, is quite handsome. Pays, just for the sake of the story, he pays Allison attention. Listens to her. Spends time with her. Buys her meals so they can spend time, of coarse usually these meals are picnics because he doesn’t because he doesn’t want people in town to see them together. Eventually one thing leads to another and he talks your daughter, Allison, who is still only fifteen into sex. She’s convinced its consensual. He told her she could say no after all. But the next time he wanted to have sex, and she said no, well he sweet talks her into it anyway, or ties her up and does what he wants and again tells her its what she wants. Now I can see you want to kill someone. I can see that. Hell, as a dad, I understand it. This is your baby girl, in the clutches of a’ what would you call him, because I’d call him a predator. Wouldn’t you?” Noah stopped on that question and looked at Victoria and Chris Argent, eyebrows raised. He waited until he’d received wary nods from them before continuing.

“Now let’s change the sexes. Remembering the age of consent in California is not fifteen. Let’s just say that the child in question is a boy. One who’d lost his first girlfriend just months before, and because of his family superhuman status, well he can’t exactly go see a counselor, can’t talk about what happened to anyone. Let’s now imagine the predator is a woman. Well into her twenties. Beautiful.” Noah looked directly at Kate and nodded his head in acknowledgement, because she was undeniably beautiful. 

Kate’s eyes went flinty cold at the nod, her smile even more fixed. Stiles saw her knuckles whiten further on her rifle.

“This beautiful woman starts paying this boy attention. A lot of attention and he laps it up. He can’t help it. He needs attention without memories attached like he needs water. They spend time together. She tells him she loves him. Tells him he loves her, and what does he know? He’s still a child so he believes it himself that he does. When she tells him its time to move to the next level, he agrees. They have sex. It makes him feel ill. He feels wrong, but when he says no the next time, she tricks him and ties him up. She uses something that he can’t fight, but makes it seem like an accident and he’s still a kid and believes her, because she loves him, right? She forces herself on him for about a week, talking to him all the time until he unwittingly tells her everything about his home life and his family. One day while he and his older sister are away from home, she attacks his family. Traps them in their home and sets it on fire. Killing, men, women and children. What would you call this woman? Because I already know what I would,” Noah finished, his gaze moving from Victoria to Chris and back again.

“Why are you telling us all of this?” Chris asked.

“Because my son is right. Your sister is a predator. A pedophile. So I’d call that woman Kate Argent. And you’re letting her around your daughter. Of coarse tomorrow I’ll be coming to your house with an arrest warrant and in just a little while, Kate Argent will be on the Registered Sex Offenders List, with all the other pedophiles and child molesters.”

Chris turned to his sister. “Kate?” he asked.

She looked at him and laughed. The sound was cold and high. “Then she looked at Derek. “Someone’s been talking out of school. Is that right lover. Did I force you? Did I hurt you? Did I make you do anything you weren’t ‘up’ for?”

Derek faced her, shoulders back and his hand shaking in Stiles’. “I said no. you threw me onto a patch of Wolfsbane, tied me with silver chain and did what you wanted. Took what you wanted. Laughing at me the whole time. You made me drink soda that made me dizzy then asked me questions. My Alpha told me there are strands of Wolfsbane that get us drunk. You raped me and killed my family. And now everyone will know what a monster really looks like.”

Stiles did a mental ‘Hell Yeah’ at Derek’s statement.

Peter took stepped forward until he blocked Derek from Kate’s view. “Of coarse Noah here isn’t taking into account what the Hunter’s Council will do with you after we hand over all of the evidence we’ve gathered. I mean if I remember correctly, Hunters who break the Code, or grievously break the law, don’t usually make it out of the council chamber do they? And I’m sure child molestation and out-right murder would equate to grievously breaking the law, don’t you? After all not all the people you burned to death in that house were wolves. Our Pack had plenty of humans in it.”

“Arrgh,” Kate yelled and her rifle swung off her shoulder.

Stiles expected it to spit out bullets, toward Peter, his dad, Derek. He didn’t expect the rifle to settle against Allison’s chin as her own Aunt pulled her in front of her body. Effectively making her a human shield. 

“Kate-” Chris began.

Stiles heard Scott growl and saw him lunge forward, wolfing out in midair. He saw his father reach for his gun, which was still at home in it’s lock box. Laura, Peter and Derek were all in wolf form and moving. Stiles saw all of it happen from the periphery of his eye, because his gaze was fixed on Victoria Argent. As Kate had moved toward her daughter, Victoria had calmly pulled a revolver from her belt holster with one hand, dropped her own rifle from her other hand. Then she had taken the single step necessary to get behind Kate. She raised the revolver to the base of Kate’s skull, barrel pointed up and pulled the trigger.

Scott barreled into Allison’s legs, throwing her away from her Aunt just as Victoria had pulled the trigger. Kate’s finger spasmed in death and her rifle went off, the bullet flying harmlessly into the night sky. Scott tucked and rolled, protecting Allison from any danger and hitting the ground. 

“Derek, get down. I can’t see anymore.” Stiles, pushed the solid wall of wolf out of his way so he could see what was happening. Derek had pushed in front of him just as Scott had hit the ground. 

With a sigh Derek stepped to the side, but pulled Stiles into him, keeping him close. Stiles looked for his father. Noah was trying to climb out from under a beautiful, enormous brown wolf. “What, umm what?” Stiles asked.

“That’s uncle Peter. Born Hale wolves can do a full shift. It’s not easy. Derek and I can’t do it. I didn’t think uncle Peter could either, but maybe the stress of the situation pushed him into it. Getting him to shift back is going to be a bitch. And speaking of bitches…” Laura trialed off and they all looked at the dead body on the ground.

“No one threatens my daughter,” Victoria Argent said calmly, putting her revolver back in her waist holster. “You, Scott. You’re a wolf. I don’t condone my daughter dating wolves. However you just tried to and probably saved her life. So thank you. If she wishes to date you I won’t interfere. But be aware I have Wolfsbane. Lots of it. I didn’t think about the death jerk. I should have. Chris?” she asked softly, looking at her husband.

Chris shook his head, blinking his eyes. “Right. Right. Umm Sheriff. If you would give me a copy of your evidence, I’ll forward it to the Hunter’s Council. The Hale Pack won’t be blamed for any of this. My father could be an issue of coarse but he’s a different animal all together. Whatever Kate became, you can rest assured he made her. We’ll take Kate back. Allison? Alli? Are you okay?” He looked for his daughter.

Scott was helping her to her feet. She ran over to her mother and hugged her. Chris walked over and wrapped them both in his arms. Allison was crying so hard she was hiccoughing with it. Eventually Stiles heard her telling her parents she couldn’t go back to the house with them. Not with her aunt’s body there too. They tried to argue her out of it but she was almost hysterical. Not that Stiles could blame her.

“If this great big fluff ball would let me move,” Noah groaned and pushed again at the wolf covering him, to no avail. “I swear to god Peter. If you don’t move I will find that god damned phone book to roll up and smack you with. And I will not have fur in my bed. Got it?”

Stiles choked on his own saliva at that announcement, for a few seconds. By the time he could breathe again, his dad was on his feet and a giant wolf sat beside him.

“If Allison doesn’t want to go home with you tonight, she’d be welcome at my house. As you can see. We don’t mean her any harm.” Noah walked to the Argents. “I’m not sure I agree with how to deal with this situation. There are still people out there that are accomplices to your sister’s actions. I don’t want them getting away with what they did.”

“I understand Sheriff. We will deal with Kate. She’ll officially be a missing person. You can arrest and prosecute anyone connected with Kate and what she did, you said you had the evidence? We won’t contest any of it and I’ll make sure the Council knows about my father, and keep him under control. Is that fine by you?” Chris asked.

“Yeah. Probably,” Noah sighed. “And like I said. Allison is welcome, if she and you are comfortable that is.”

“It seems we’ll have to get comfortable with it,” Victoria Argent huffed but gave Allison a nod and a small smile. “Behave yourself and don’t be any trouble for the Sheriff.” She hugged her daughter tightly. Then her face hardened and she looked back at her husband. “As for Gerard, he’ll be dealt with. He will not be an issue for anyone for very much longer.”

“Victoria?” Chris questioned.

“Now Mrs. Argent, I can’t allow you to do anything foolish here.” Noah told her seriously.

She glanced at the Sheriff briefly before turning her attention away, splitting it between her husband and daughter.

“Chris, do you remember the promise we made?” She asked quietly.

“Vicky?” Chris asked, voice broken.

“No honey, not the Hunters Promise. No one is committing ritual suicide. Besides I blew that promise out the window when Alli came along. Either of us gets bitten, we’ll just have to deal with a monthly fur issue. No, the promise we made each other after the day our baby girl was born. Do you remember it?”

Chris nodded. “We promised she’d always come first,” he said firmly.

“Yes we did. Now please think about where Allison was supposed to spend her summer vacation this year,” Victoria said.

“She was supposed to-to-to-with Gerard.” Chris stammered a slow dawning of realisation on his face.

“Yes he wanted to teach her the ropes, her heritage. Teach her his ways. He insisted on it. You once told me that Kate was a different girl when you were younger. It was like she’d changed overnight, she was around Alli’s age right?” Victoria asked her husband.

Chris nodded. “Yes, yes. That son of a bitch,” He growled. “She never said. Never told me. Just fuck.”

Victoria nodded, her lips thin. “She became what he made her to be. I can’t allow that to keep going. And I’m sorry Sheriff, the law can’t help in this situation. Not even the Hunters Council. Although they shall be appraised of everything.”

“Umm, Mrs Argent. What are you planning to do?” Stiles asked.

Victoria Argent sighed and ran her hand over her daughter’s hair. “I’m going to ensure that monster is put down. Like Chris, I come from a Hunting background. The O’Dells. We protected the British Isles from before they were the British Isles. We were, are as powerful as the Argents are in France. So trust me when I say that I shall be calling my family as soon as we get home and asking them to place Gerard Argent in the firing line. We are in the business of putting Monsters down, sometimes the Monster has fur and fangs and sometimes the Monster wears our skin. I’ll let The O’Dell know what has happened here and who has been wronged. Gerard’s breaths are numbered and so are the days of Hunters behaving this way.”

“Well okay then, good to see you got it covered. I think my dad will need a few minutes to let it all sink in and understand that the cops really don’t need to get involved here yet. Also I see a Mario Kart Marathon tonight,” Stiles pumped his fist in the air.

Noah squeezed the bridge of his nose. “And that ladies and gentleman is my son. Always finding the video game in any situation. All right, are we done here? Do you need any help with…” he pointed at the body on the ground.

Chris shook his head. “Our problem. Our responsibility. You know, when we came here, I never expected this. Allison, she’s slated to be the next Matriarch of the Argent Clan. We’ve been Hunters for generations. But if Allison starts making friends with them, I think she’ll lead us in a different direction. After learning what we learned tonight, that might not be such a bad thing. Good night Sheriff. Love you Alli. Night Stiles, night Hale Pack. Victoria, if you’ll take the weapons, I’ll deal with, her.”

Peter chuffed getting their attention. A few seconds later he turned and headed off. “That’s our cue to leave, according to our Alpha. Come on Scott. You can introduce me to Allison. Let’s go people.” Laura made shooing motions and with rueful grins they all followed the big brown wolf.  
*****  
Stiles could smell hot chocolate before he entered the kitchen. Stepping through the door he found Derek already at the sink. Stretching hot chocolate from one mug to the other.

“Everyone’s asleep. There’s some orange and cinnamon cake on the table. Did you want any cream?” Derek asked without turning around.

Stiles went to the refrigerator and took out the bowl of left over whipped cream. “I still can’t believe half the shit that happened tonight actually happened. I mean all we were supposed to do was bring Laura back, but damn that was only door number one.” Stiles sat at the table pulling a plate over to him. He spooned a generous amount of cream on the cake and used his fork to cut off a decent bite. He was swallowing when Derek sat beside him with their drinks. He followed Stiles lead with cake and cream. Stiles watched him eat for a few seconds. “You okay?” He finally asked.

Derek stopped eating for a few breaths as if thinking about it. Finally he swallowed and nodded. “Surprisingly yes. I am. How did you work it out? I never said anything.”

“Not so much no, but then you never say much. It’s what you don’t say that tells me so much. I can’t help it D. I watch you. Like pretty much all the time. I’m the son of a cop. I notice, then I deduce. I’m sorry I had to hurt you though. That wasn’t cool.” Stiles said softly.

Derek shook his head. “No, that’s fine. I understand why you did. It threw them all off, especially Kate. We probably only got out of that tonight because you threw them all off and gave your dad an opening. You know I’m sorta glad it’s all out there. Peter told me before that it wasn’t my fault. Laura, I told Laura years ago. She didn’t blame me. But I blamed myself. When Peter said it wasn’t my fault I didn’t really believe him. I thought I should have known, I was still convinced it was my fault. Then your father said what he said and I heard the story from another point of view. I didn’t blame the girl. I understood it wasn’t her fault. I finally got it. It finally sank in. it wasn’t my fault either. So yeah Stiles, I’m good. I’m finally good.” Derek sighed and leaned back in his seat. Drinking from his mug slowly.

“I’m glad,” Stiles looked down into his mug and ate the last of his cake. “So, ahh, you never told me, I never asked, but did, do, you have a girlfriend back in New York? Boyfriend?”

“Nope. I wasn’t really capable of a relationship for a long time.”

“Okay. That’s okay. Oh ah I got another question. You know with your super hearing and nose, how come no one ever asked you about smelling a woman on you?” Stiles asked.

“Wow. Whiplash.” But Derek smiled. “I sorta stayed away from everyone at that point. I’d been avoiding everyone since I’d lost Paige. And if anyone asked why there was a woman’s smell on me. God, I was so embarrassed. Anyway, we used to have a wrestling team at BHS back then. The coach was a woman, go figure yeah and the teams, boys and girls occasionally trained together.”

“So you used the wrestling team as an excuse? What wrestling practice consisted of one woman in particular rubbing herself all over you, and getting turned on? Wow, that would never fly with my dad.” Stiles shook his head.

“Not sure it flew with my family either, but they didn’t ask. Peter said they all behaved like ostriches with their heads in the sand. He won’t do that again. I think Peter might make a decent Alpha.” Derek mused.

“Speaking of Peter, please tell me he’s asleep,” Stiles hoped.

Derek smirked. “He is now.”

“Good-”

“Your dad wore him out,” Derek cut him off to say quickly.

Stiles stopped breathing for a few seconds, then let his head fall to the table, banging it a few times. He stopped when he felt fingers stroking through his hair. “You know I’m going to ask you out the second I’m of legal age, right?” he whispered.

“And I’ll say yes, to anything you want, the minute you’re of legal age,” Derek answered softly.

*****

Scott turned over in Stiles’ bed and grinned. When they’d returned from Laura’s resurrection that night Stiles had indeed instituted a Mario Kart marathon. It had lasted until well in to the following day, but they’d been too wired to really go to sleep. The Sheriff and Alpha had napped separately. The younger pack members, him and Stiles included had alternately fallen asleep on the sofa while still holding their controllers. Now he was in bed. Allison was sharing the study with Laura. The Sheriff and Alpha had finally fallen asleep, and hadn’t that been an education he could probably have done without. He really needed to learn how to dial back his hearing. He was learning but sometimes his curiosity was out of control. 

Tonight he had listened in on Derek and Stiles. He’d listened to many of Derek and Stiles’ conversations. Heard them speak quiet secrets and get closer over a short span of time. He wanted his friend happy and cared for. Stiles deserved that. He thought back to the night he’d been bitten. That night had changed all their lives. His asthma was gone. He had people who cared for him. Stiles had people who cared for him. He stifled a snicker thinking about Peter, Stiles had nicknamed him Alpha Mom and Scott couldn’t help but think about it every time Peter made something amazing to eat. Now they just had to tell his own mom about everything. And apparently Peter already had identities for himself and Laura ready to go, so maybe he’d leave the telling to his Alpha, seemed to be his job after all. 

Even Allison seemed okay with it all, and her family hunted people like him. He looked at his hand and let his claws out. Huh, Derek was right, being a werewolf was a hell of a gift.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a part of Rough Trade 2019


End file.
